1st Grader's Perspective: Mall Purchase Criteria

Spoiling the kids.  That Big Black Hole that's so hard to free yourself from ... once you've been sucked into its bottomless vortex.  It is so hard to strike a balance, isn't it?  You get sick and tired of your child with their sense of entitlement, which you know that you have fostered, constantly asking for more.  Then discarding the new toy or piece of clothing within days - no longer meriting their interest.

That's it.  You're done.  No more new stuff.

The questionable object of my 6 year old's affection:  "Shake It Up" sneaker boots, from Payless. 

Rocky Mountain Organic Meats - Review & Giveaway (ENDED 2/6/12)

For my entire life, my cousins have been cattle ranchers in South Dakota.  During my childhood, that meant a steady supply of high quality, fresh beef on our dinner table almost every night.  This was during the 70s and 80s, at a time before use of hormones and antibiotics to spur growth had begun to creep in. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case with most cattle producers.

When Rod Morrison of Rocky Mountain Organic Meats offered me the opportunity to try out their products, I jumped at the chance.  And he made me do my homework on organic meat!

Make a Weeknight Meal Special

I signed up to participate in a "weeknight meal special", but didn't know at first what the company would be.  I just knew I would be preparing a new kind of hearty meal soup for dinner, and would then needed to let my readers know how it went.

Chat With a Disney Guru - Disney Babies Blog

Weekly series!


Welcome to a great new way to compare notes, pick up some helpful tips for your next Disney visit, and discover some fantastic Disney bloggers!  Each week I will be highlighting an interview with a certified, pixie dusted fan of The Mouse.  

WARNING:  Their enthusiasm for all things Disney is, in fact, quite contagious!  So come along for the ride with us ... you may learn something new, and it's sure to put a smile on your face as you read about the good, the really really good, and the "you absolutely can't miss this...."!

*o*     *o*     *o*

This week: Disney Babies Blog Jennifer!

Jennifer and family - at private "Disney Visa Character Meet 'N Greet"

Sonja's Snuggables - Review & Giveaway (ENDED 1/30/12)

Monkey Snuggables

Sonja, owner of Sonja’s Snuggables has been on quite a journey the past six years.  She began to sew after she was in a car accident which left her with a spinal injury.  She still struggles with the effects today, but one thing that gets her mind off her pain is sewing.

Finding Nemo in 3D

My family's favorite "Finding Nemo" scene to quote from:

"One of my tentacles is longer than the others..."
"I'm H2O intolerant."
"I'M OBNOXIOUS!"


FINDING NEMO returns to theatres for the first time in 3D September 14th, 2012!

Tale of a Waking Baby

What DIDN'T we do wrong?  You know as a parent, when you see yourself making these classic parenting mistakes ... and you are well aware of why you shouldn't do what you're doing ... but you can't seem to stop doing it? 

Chat With a Disney Guru - Delightfully Disney

Weekly series!


Welcome to a great new way to compare notes, pick up some helpful tips for your next Disney visit, and discover some fantastic Disney bloggers!  Each week I will be highlighting an interview with a certified, pixie dusted fan of The Mouse.  

WARNING:  Their enthusiasm for all things Disney is, in fact, quite contagious!  So come along for the ride with us ... you may learn something new, and it's sure to put a smile on your face as you read about the good, the really really good, and the "you absolutely can't miss this...."!

*o*     *o*     *o*

This week: Delightfully Disney!

  

Disney Wordless Wednesday

This week's theme:  Water, water everywhere!

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Although I suspect many will post Disney cruise shots this week, to correspond with the water theme ... I tried to get over my self pity long enough (no cruises for us, yet!) to muster up some other wet Disney scenario to use.

When it's a hot and muggy day in EPCOT, a stop at the kids water fountain play area is a great idea!

Located just outside Innovations East, on walkway to Test Track.

So refreshing on bare tootsies!

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 Thanks to Deb at Focused on the Magic for hosting this weekly Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!  For more great shots from this week - click the button below.

Free National Parks Weekend

When was the last time you took your family out to enjoy some Nature?  This upcoming, 3 day (for many) weekend just became the perfect opportunity!  (See the bottom of this post for other free dates in 2012.)

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr day, admission will be free to all 397 National Parks on January 14-16, 2012.

Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyoming

Chat With a Disney Guru: DisneyLifestyle

Weekly series!


Welcome to a great new way to compare notes, pick up some helpful tips for your next Disney visit, and discover some fantastic Disney bloggers!  Each week I will be highlighting an interview with a certified, pixie dusted fan of The Mouse.  

WARNING:  Their enthusiasm for all things Disney is, in fact, quite contagious!  So come along for the ride with us ... you may learn something new, and it's sure to put a smile on your face as you read about the good, the really really good, and the "you absolutely can't miss this...."!

*o*     *o*     *o*

This week: DisneyLifestyle Melanie!

Melanie in front of the Club 33 placard at Disneyland.

Disney Wordless Wednesday

This week's theme:  Characters Small and Great

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For this, I turn to our breakfast at Chef Mickey's - one of our favorite Character Meal experiences of all time!

One small character meets one great character

Disney Family.com's Site Moving to Facebook

On January 12, 2012, the Disney Family.com's Parenting Community site will be shutting down!  This was an online social forum that offered fun gadgets and games, creation of your own personal family avatar portrait scene and profile page, and social groups that were daily posted to by fans with photos and comments.

YesterYear Soap - Review & Giveaway (ENDED 1/19/12)

It's true.  I am a lazy liquid soap squirter.  I do not purchase bars of hand soap.  I think that may have just changed.

YesterYear soaps are hand crafted with all natural ingredients.  They recently sent me a sample gift package, including a slab of three of their most popular fragrances:  Vanilla Honey (my daughter's favorite), Green Tea Mint (my favorite), and Orange Patchouli.  (The boys didn't vote.  Party Poopers.)

What I love about about YesterYear soaps:

14,000 Things To Be Happy About - Favorites List #2

• happy feelings emanating from the kitchen
• cotton velour terry wrap robes
• sauntering
• getting carried away
• dinner with laughter
• snorkeling
• window spray de-icer
• knowing there will be many surprises in the future
• wall storage systems
• cloudy days and sunny thoughts
• food gifts
• personality profiles

Tangled Ever After - Another new clip!

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST returns to theatres for the first time in 3D TODAY - January 13th!  (Note:  will also be shown in 2D for those with little ones who can't do glasses for an entire movie!)

In conjunction with this movie event, Rapunzel and our other favorite characters will be featured in a new short film to be shown before the movie ~ Tangled Ever After!  I don't know about you, but this is almost reason enough for me to head to the theater that week...

And today (Friday, 1/13/12) a bonus released clip hot off the presses, to get you excited!

Chat With a Disney Guru - Disney On Wheels

New weekly series!


Welcome to a great new way to compare notes, pick up some helpful tips for your next Disney visit, and discover some fantastic Disney bloggers!  Each week I will be highlighting an interview with a certified, pixie dusted fan of The Mouse.  

WARNING:  Their enthusiasm for all things Disney is, in fact, quite contagious!  So come along for the ride with us ... you may learn something new, and it's sure to put a smile on your face as you read about the good, the really really good, and the "you absolutely can't miss this...."!

*o*     *o*     *o*

This week: Disney On Wheels

Disney Wordless Wednesday

This week's theme:  First Footing

This was my baby's first visit to the Magic Kingdom, age 12 months, watching his first parade.
And he was rockin' it.

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For more great photos on this week's Disney Wordless Wednesday hop - click the button below!

14,000 Things To Be Happy About

• A stream-of-consciousness list
• pajamas at breakfast
• seeing the moon rise
• the feel of a rug under bare feet
• a lake catching the last flecks of sunlight coming in over the pines
• a small music box that plays The Blue Danube
• starting to make things happen
• a baby's first tooth
• teakettles 
• orchestras
• a boat tour to see picturesque little ocher-and-red villages

Got latte?

It was actually the Latte Craze of the 90s that got me hooked on coffee.  Up until that point, I was a Diet Coke in the morning to get me going girl.  Aaahhh .... lattes.   The transition drug.  Add to the equation that I had a good friend working at a Starbucks roasting factory in Washington who didn't like coffee, and so forwarded me care packages containing assortments of her employee free pound of coffee per week.  Oh, my.  That'll get you hooked.  I quickly was.

Fortunately for me, I ran in a cheap (broke) circle of 20 something singles who made their own lattes.  So this has pretty much been par for the course for me over the years.   However, two years ago I upgraded to a nicer machine with a pump pressure system.  This isn't a Product Review - this is me sharing one of my Favorite Things in Life with you!