Tag Archives: Disney at Home

Disney Around the House

Posted on by

RM-Dalmation-Tea-PotIf you’ve been visiting here a while, you might remember when I talked about adding a little Disney to your day.  Being the Disney fans that we are, we do tend to accumulate a few Disney collectibles here and there.  I know guests to our home (who know us at all) probably expect to see a lot more Disney than there actually is…Don’t get me wrong!  It’s pretty much everywhere, but it’s not as prevalent (or overt) as one might expect.  You mostly have to be looking to see it all – but love each and every item we do!  And, in the future, there will be more…of course, there will be more.

Disney Around the House

If you’re going to live in an empty Disney nest, I recommend you surround yourself with at least a few special objects, strategically placed, to bring you peaceful Disney happiness during those times when the chicks who have flown the nest are in low-maintenance mode.  These are the times you can most enjoy a carefully crafted home environment sans drama (while constantly checking the days on your Disney vacation count-down app).  I’ve been experiencing just such an interlude recently and have been thinking about adding a few more pixie-dusted touches here and there.  First let’s talk about what we’ve already got & maybe you can help me decide which of our new Disney prints I should have framed next.

RM-Mary-Poppins-PrintCome in through the front door and you’ll notice the Mary Poppins-inspired print Joseph gave Raymond for Christmas.  No pics of the living room or dining room which are both Disney-décor free (for now), but in the kitchen – which is certainly the heart of our home – you’ll notice the most Disney love.

RM-Remy-PrintThe Remy Print we, in a crazy moment of Disney happiness, purchased on a Disney cruise a few years back is near our kitchen table.  RM-Mickey-Dinner-PlateOf course we have Disney dishes – including (not pictured) salad plates in both white and red.  RM-Disney-Mugs RM-Disney-Juice-GlassesWe have some Mickey dish towels and a spoon holder, a Haunted Mansion bottle stopper, and, of course, a selection of Disney coffee mugs and juice glasses.  RM-Disney-Cookie-JarThe Disney cookie jar currently stores packets of hot cocoa mix.  RM-Mickey-TrayMickey is always around, ready to lend a hand!

RM-Pirates-PrintThe Pirates picture Megan gave me for Christmas is in our upstairs TV room.  RM-Disney-Curio-CollectionIn our library is our curio of all small Disney collectibles.  RM-Disney-Junk-DrawerAnd we even have a Disney junk-drawer for storing some of our pins and new Christmas ornaments (wrapped in tissue paper) that haven’t been added formally to the Disney holiday collection.

Raymond and I picked up a couple-few (that’s the technical term here in the South for two to six items) more prints that we haven’t yet framed.  RM-Disney-Kitchen-PrintsCurrently we’re in pre-vacation penny-pinching mode, but when we get back, I want to have one or two of these framed & located in their as-yet-undecided places of honor.  We have two kitchen prints (from Food and Wine Festival shopping) featuring Goofy and Donald.  RM-Disney-Mickey-PrintA new Mickey picture.  RM-Ursula-PrintAnd Ursula who will look absolutely fantastic in our upstairs bathroom.  Which one(s) should we start with?

Do you decorate Disney-style?  What are your favorite pieces?

 

 

Five Things I’ve Learned From Running

Posted on by

Princess-Half-RunnersIn just a couple of months, registration will open for Walt Disney World’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend events.  I’m excited about it!  I’ll be returning again for the Glass Slipper Challenge in February, but this time I won’t be running alone.  Nick and Dave, my buddies (and co-hosts) from The Disney Exchange Podcast are planning to be there and we’re inviting you to come along for the running or at least a meet-up.  So if you’re thinking about a 2016 runDisney event or a February Disney vacation – we want to see you there!

For today’s Friday Five, I want to talk about running.  (You can read about why I run in this post.)  I’m now in my 18th year of running (Yikes!  I sound ancient!) and while I’m certainly no expert on the sport of running, I have learned a thing or two about me, and life in general, by continually putting one foot in front of the other and while I’m certain there are other items that could be on this list, I’ll just share some random thoughts on…

Five Things I’ve Learned From Running

1.  Body Type Means Nothing.  I have a long torso, short limbs and on a tall day I reach 5 feet, 4 inches in height.  I don’t look like a runner – at least not to me, since I think of tall, skinny people as having the perfect running physique.  Thinking this is silly – I’ve passed plenty of taller and thinner runners in many events and I’ve had my butt kicked by people who were shorter and heavier than I am.  Never let body image issues hold you back – if you want to be a runner, you can be.Princess-Half-Gaston-Runner

2. There Will be Pain.  Running’s a lot like life – There will be perfect, beautiful days of complete happiness.  And there will be pain and crushing disappointment.  If there’s a common running ailment, I’ve probably experienced it at least once, but that’s not the pain I’m talking about.  There’s physical pain with running, sure – sometimes it’s the “good” pain of knowing you’re really working hard and are pushing your limits for speed or distance, but there’s also emotional pain.  Probably the most important and useful lessons I’ve learned from running involve overcoming negative emotions.  When my inner voice is telling me to quit (“you’re tired, you’ve gone far enough, it’s too humid for this today, let’s get something to eat, this shirt’s rubbing my arm, you can run again tomorrow”), it’s hard to convince myself to keep going.  In the early years, negative thoughts kept me from doing my best much more often than physical pain or injury.Princess-Half-Tomorrowland

3.  Running requires no eye-hand coordination.  Tennis is not for me.  Golf just brings the rage.  Running is as easy as walking (maybe not at first, but it gets better).  While I may be unable to throw or catch or hit a ball with any kind of sports equipment, I am extremely competitive.  Running lets me compete against myself everyday.  Then, I can enter races if I want to see how my hard work stacks up against others.  Training hard pays off and that’s never more evident than when I push myself running.  Running relieves stress and gives me time to think, plan, and focus on the day ahead.  There are also great places to be explored, one step at a time.Princess-Half-Corral-F

4. Nike’s “Just Do It” is the best motto!  There are millions of excuses for why staying on the couch is the best decision of the day.  Believe me, I know from personal experience for the first 33 years of my life.  Running isn’t always easy or fun, but I’ve only ever regretted NOT running.  I’ve never gone for a run and when I came home thought, “I wish I hadn’t done that”.  I’ve run in sleet and rain, in the heat, the cold, the dark – it’s not always easy to walk out the door or climb on the dreaded, boring treadmill, but reminding myself to “Just Do It” seems to do the trick.  This also applies to many other unpleasant tasks in life!RM-Stitch-Meet-and-Greet

5.  Support is a critical element to success.  As with nearly everything we do, having someone cheering you on makes running better.  Without the support of my husband, Raymond (Thanks, Honey!), I could never have accomplished many of my goals.  He got the kids to school solo every morning for years so I could go to the gym, he’s been my coach, my bicycle mechanic (and custom-builder), my time-keeper, course explorer, pep-talker, well-wisher, travel-buddy and, with rare exception, has never missed a big race.  Hearing him say, “You’re doing great!” at just the right moment has helped me push myself harder on more occassions than I can count.  Whether it’s a group of work-out friends, your spouse, your mom or dad, your children or your coworkers, find a support system to keep you motivated.  When all else fails, one good support person can make all the difference!

Fellow runners!!!  Is anyone going to Princess Half weekend?  What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from running?

Ten Disney Moms and Why They’re Great

Posted on by

Helen Parr and JackJackToday is Mother’s Day – a great time to appreciate your mom and enjoy be appreciated as a mom (as the case may be).  Nearly all of the Disney Facebook and Twitter folks I follow will have mom-related posts in honor of the occasion.  Me?  I’m taking the day off.  And I’m sure it will be great!  Megan and Joseph are certain to put in an appearance and family time is the best time!

Seeing all those mom tributes, though, makes me think about some of my favorite moms of the Disney variety.  Disney movies often have important mom roles – although in a lot of cases, the role is filled by someone other than a character’s biological mother.  Those, unfortunately, often meet with an early demise…what is up with that, anyway?  Whatever kind of mom they are, there’s a group of Disney moms I think deserve to be celebrated.  What better time than Mother’s Day?

Ten Disney Moms and Why They’re Great:

10. Kala:  Yes, she’s an ape, but she rushed to rescue human little Tarzan from certain doom!  Then she loved him as much as any mother possibly could.  She’s absolutely phenomenal as a mom.

9. Mrs. Jumbo:  Back in the days when storks brought babies, Dumbo’s mom was completely and totally smitten with her big-eared arrival.  Who could ask for a better mother than that?  Don’t we all have our moments of feeling the unlovable misfit?Mrs. Jumbo

8. Bambi’s Mother:  Okay – granted, she wasn’t around for long, but made the ultimate sacrifice.  After loving and bonding with her darling baby, she knows what will happen if the hunters find Bambi and makes the ultimate sacrifice.  So sad!

7. Andy’s Mom:  Andy may or may not have had a dad around, but no matter, his mom totally rocks!  She supported Andy’s make-believe world, took him to Pizza Planet, and got him all the latest and greatest toys – what kid could ask for more?

6. Eleanor (Merida’s Mother):  Not sure I could forgive my kid for seeking out a witch, buying a spell with an important piece of jewelry, and turning me into a bear (along with my other children!) – this lady is certainly more woman than I could ever hope to be – seriously, if Merida had been my kid, not so sure she would have gotten off so easily – so, cheers to the forgiving and patient mothers everywhere!

Mrs. Potts and Chip5. Mrs. Potts:  Survives becoming china with all her offspring – Mrs. Potts is just as sweet and motherly as she can be!  Wow!  I’m a little bit jealous of her ability to remain calm under any circumstance.  Oh, and that voice!  Nobody makes you feel more loved than Angela Lansbury!

4. Coral (Nemo’s Mom):  First, points to Coral for even marrying Marlin in the first place – I’m pretty sure his OCD/worry-wart tendencies had to have been evident prior to tying the knot and would have been a deal-breaker for me.  Then…whoa!  Using herself as bait to keep certain death from claiming every one of her children.  That’s a MOM!  Luckily for her, Marlin figures out in the end how to be as great parent as Coral could have hoped for.

3. Frigga:  Thor and Loki’s mom clearly loved both her children (in all their imperfect beauty, arrogance and vulnerability) exactly the same – she was the epitome of maternal adoration to the very end – her end.  Managing to save virtually everyone else.  Excellent demonstration of maternal goddess-ness!

2. Nani Pelekai:  After losing both of her parents, Nani takes on the upbringing of both Lelo AND Stitch.  She could easily have played the “I’m too young for so much responsibility” card and opted out.  But no, Nani’s willing to do whatever it takes to honor her parents and keep Lelo by her side – even when things get really tough.

1. Helen Parr:  Tough, loving, caring, and, above all, flexible (ha!), this mom to Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack is the very best sort of mom – always rooting for her family, even when they seem determined to let her down.  Of all the Disney moms mentioned here today, Helen is the closest to who I’d like to be if I could be a Disney mom.

Well, there you have it – Living a Disney Life’s salute to Disney mothers everywhere!

Who made your top ten list?

 

 

 

More Disney Cruise Stateroom Door Décor

Posted on by

A long time ago I wrote this post about making stateroom door magnets for your first Disney cruise.  There’s not much to it, but that post has been one of the most viewed I’ve ever written.  Time for a do-over with more pictures this time.  Earlier today, I was once again putting together some door magnets for our upcoming Disney cruise so I thought I’d share more tips for making door décor.  If you’d rather watch than read or if you require a few more details than I’m including in this post, watch the video version of this tutorial here.

More Disney Cruise Stateroom Door Décor

If you’ve never taken a Disney cruise before, you should know that it’s a pretty common thing to decorate your stateroom door.  You’ll feel left out if you don’t.  You’ll also feel lost.  Long, LONG hallways of nothing but identical stateroom doors – your family members had better be great at memorizing your room number, because all the staterooms look exactly alike from the outside. Unless you make yours unique by decorating it with your own personal touch.  Decorations must be family-friendly and affixed to the door by magnets only (no adhesive allowed).Cruise Door Magnets

You’ll need:

  • Magnetic printer paper
  • Magnetic tape (or peel-and-stick flat magnets)
  • Foam Sheets
  • Scrapbooking (or other) themed stickers of your choice
  • Stick-on Letters
  • Stateroom Mickey Ears template (see below)
  • Printed photos of your choiceMagnets for Door Decorations Scrapbook Supplies for Door Magnets Letters for Door MagnetsFoam Sheets for Door Magnets

For small door magnets:  I start by cutting some shapes out of the foam sheets to use as backgrounds and embellish those with the scrapbooking stickers.  Then I cut pieces of self-stick magnet and put those on the reverse side.  That’s IT!  Add letters if you want and you’ll have some personalized magnets you can put up once or change out every day if you like.Magic in Norway Magnet

For Mickey Ears (around the room number medallion on the door) – Follow the link at the bottom of this post to browse the fantastic selection of ear templates.  Save and print your favorite set(s) of ears on magnetic printer paper then carefully (I’m scissor-challenged!) cut out the shapes and you’ll have another adorable addition to your door!Viking Hat Door Magnet

For large magnets – print big pictures on photo paper or magnetic printer paper.  If you print on the magnetic paper, you’re finished.  If you print as pictures, glue them on a foam sheet background (or a piece of cardboard) for stability, add some stick-on magnets to the back.  You are now ready to set sail with a very attractive (and easy to spot) stateroom door.Norway Cruise Door Magnet

Have you made magnets for your Disney Cruise Line stateroom?  Please share your pictures over at Living a Disney Life on Facebook!  I would love to see some new ideas!!!

The template For Stateroom Mickey Ears is available here for a small investment.