Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day Everyone!  I hope it was as enjoyable at your house as it was at ours.  :)

The celebrations spanned well over the actual date of February 14th around here.  Between 2 different dance class parties, the room party in Miss B's class, the special breakfast in L's TA (or as I called it "back in the day" Homeroom), and our own family activities  . . . we were feeling the LOVE for most of the week!  :)  The only bummer was that C was unable to join us for the weekend, like we had hoped.  But a special care package was sent his way filled with a few of his favorite treats.  (Side note ~ there should be a special postal rate for parents with college-age kids who want to send care packages.  Just a thought, because Gummy Bears are heavy!) 

I will be the first to say that the apple didn't fall far from the tree with Miss B.  :) With 3 different class parties, she announced that she couldn't take the same Valentines to all 3 classes because a few kids "might" get the same Valentine more than once and that would not be right.  Pretty sure a conversation quite similar to this one happened in a different house "a few" years back between a mother & daughter......clear my throat .....sorry Mom  :) 

This is what we came up with for her Valentines for school.  I thought they turned out pretty cute and she was very happy with them.  Got to love the Minions!

 

For the teachers, I made Hersey's Kisses Roses and wrapped them up to look like a bouquet of a dozen "flowers".  Even L wanted to take one to give to his TA during their special breakfast.  Mrs. F loved it & was very grateful!

My parents were able to come down to visit for the weekend.  YEAH!  :)  I mentioned the "apple not falling far from the tree" scenario earlier ... well the same can be said of my mom & I.  Every holiday she would always go above and beyond to make it as special as possible. It's great to be able to continue some of those traditions with my own kids.  

Special Valentine's Breakfast ~ complete with pink milk! (a favorite of my siblings & I growing up: Pink = Valentine's Day, Green = St. Patrick's Day and Blue = Birthdays)

The Teddy Bear & McDonald's gift cards were gifts from Grandma J & Grandpa B.  Isn't he adorable!  :)

After a very busy week at school & work, we all looked forward to a relaxing day lounging around the house.  We played a couple of games of Disney UNO (a purchase from our recent trip).  Then Mom & I looked through pictures and visited, while Honey & Dad watched basketball. The kids were more that happy to spend some time playing Minecraft on their tablets.  I love days like this!

Dinner time rolled around & it is the D Family tradition to get heart shaped pizzas from Papa Murphy's.  Simple yet festive & oh so yummy!

Mom & Dad brought dessert from the most amazing bakery, Scratch Cupcakery!  I can honestly say you have never lived until you've tried a cupcake from Scratch.  We unfortunately don't have one here, so this was a real treat!  Words of advice, get an array of flavors and divide them in half.  That way you can sample more than one!  :)  YUM YUM!!

A few years ago, I created mailboxes for each family member to have on the table for decoration as well as a place to deliver their Valentine's.  The kids go hide in their bedrooms while I fill the mailboxes, then rush out to the table to see what treats are waiting for them.  I try to go with at least one non-candy item in addition to their favorite candy. 

  I think they were happy with their Valentine's.  :)

After dessert, Honey & I left the kids to enjoy a little Grandma & Grandpa time while we headed off to enjoy a concert featuring one of our favorite groups, Florida Georgia Line. (SQUEAL!)  It was a fantastic show and the perfect way to end our Valentine's Day celebration.  Til next time y'all!  :)

"Traveling" Through the 50 States Dinners ~ Missouri

I'm taking a little break from our Disney trip to share another family adventure we are taking . . . so to speak.  Remember our Summer Bucket List and our Dinners Around the World?  We decided that as much as we enjoyed doing this, it was time to mix it up a little. So instead of countries, we are going to be "traveling" through all 50 states through dinners inspired by the foods of the state we are "visiting".  In addition to the meal, we would also share fun facts & information about the state.  (A little learning experience disguised by delicious foods is never a bad thing, right!?!)

Our first stop is Missouri  . . .which among other things, is known for its BBQ.  I searched online to find the best recipes that showcased the flavors of this state.  The results were delicious!

Our main dish was the spicy yet spectacular Kansas City Pulled Pork Sandwiches (recipe from Savory Sweet Life) with side dishes of Kansas City Smokehouse Beans (recipe from Food.com) & Smoke Stack Cheesy Corn Bake (also from Food.com).

Honey deemed it one of the best meals he'd had in a long time!  (He LOVES anything that has that extra kick to it.)   The kids thought the sandwich was good, but a little too spicy for them.  (An extra glass of milk was drank by each to finish it off.)  Having said that, I should mention that we realize that some of the meals may be a little outside the comfort zone of the kids, so we established that they had to at least TRY a few bites before giving us the "Eww, gross!" face.  :)  

We finished off with the divine dessert, Kansas City Dirt Cake (recipe from Lil' Luna).  There was no coaxing anyone to try this one, that's for sure!  YUM YUM!!

We also learn lots of Fun Facts about Missouri:  State Capital - Jefferson City,  State Flower - White Hawthorn,  State Nickname - "Show Me State", it was the 24th state to be admitted into the Union, etc.  Honey has a deep love of history, so he would throw in a few history questions here and there tailored to the kid's age level.  My favorite one of night was, "What is the first name of the US President that the capital, Jefferson City, was named after?"  Miss B jumped up and down, "I know, I know!  It's BOB!!"  (LOL!!!)  After we all had a good chuckle over her very enthusiastic answer, L said "Close, but um no.  It's Thomas."  Honey's History-lovin' heart couldn't have been more proud!

One state down, 49 more to go.....next stop Pennsylvania! 


      

Day 3: Hollywood Studios & The Frozen Premium Package

One thing about the D Family that I may not have shared yet, is that we are a little competitive (healthy competition, of course).  There are 2 rides at Disney World that have a tendancy to bring out this side in us, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at the Magic Kingdom and Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios.  Toy Story Mania is a 3D/4D ride experience where you get to test your skills in 5 different Midway Style games using a pull-string shooter (breaking plates, throwing darts, popping balloons, etc) along side characters from the Toy Story movies.  As we headed to spend the day at Hollywood Studios, C issued a challenge which was graciously excepted.  :)  He was very confident that he could beat his non-gamer mom!  I maybe older and more "old school" (I ROCK at PAC MAN!) but this mom can still play!  Good Game C!

A Note on Toy Story Mania:  This is another FastPass must!  Wait times for this are usually quite long, but completely worth it if you happen to end up waiting.  We love this ride!!



Hollywood Studios is not short on Character Meet & Greets, so we spent some time hanging out, playing and dancing with a few friends.  Like Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars ...

Mike & Sully from Monsters, Inc.

Princess Sophia

Buzz & Woody

And Phineas & Ferb

You may have noticed that we are all wearing Frozen-inspired clothing again today.  :)  For Christmas, my parents gave our family tickets to a Special Event happening at Hollywood Studios called The Frozen Premium Package.  This event required an extra ticket in addition to our park ticket, that included entrance into the Dessert Party with special seating for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights (Wait til you see the pictures from this!), a commemorative lithograph and pin, as well as reserved seating "For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration".

I'm sure many of you are thinking, "Really!?!  More Frozen!"  But I can honestly say this ranked among our Top 10 favorite things from this trip.  The preface of this show is that the Royal Story Tellers were there to give you a lesson in the history of Arendelle.  They were hilarious!!  

It was a perfect mix of jokes for the kids as well as a few directed specifically toward the parents.  :)  For example, "Here's the song everyone has been waiting for, especially all you Dads...."

:)  There was a large screen that played the movie clips with the corresponding song in the background.  And yes, we ALL sang along with each of the songs as loud as we could.  It was fabulous!

Alas no Frozen experience would be complete with out Elsa & Anna ...

I will not lie when I say that I got a little misty-eyed during the finale when Elsa actually made it SNOW in the theater.  (Yes, it was real snow!)  

I would recommend this show to anyone heading to Hollywood Studios.  We loved it so much that we went to see it a second time later on in the week.  Amazing!

Hollywood Studios is obviously designed around movies: how they are made, tricks of the trade, etc.  And it showcases some of the most memorable and influential films ever created. Walking down Hollywood Boulevard and the Streets of America, you may see pieces of some of these amazing films intertwined into the scenery.  After our many trips, I was finally able to find one that I had read about countless times... the umbrella from Singing in the Rain starring Gene Kelley.  Apparently, there is a special spot that you can stand on and it rains all around you.  Unfortunately, we couldn't find "The Spot", but I was tickled just to find the umbrella!

The boys then headed to ride Star Tours while Miss B & I went to see The Voyage of The Little Mermaid.  We met back up in Animation Courtyard where we decided to visit the Animation Academy.  We all enjoy drawing, so we were excited to get to learn how to sketch a Disney character from one of the Pros.  (Bet you can't guess who C wanted to draw.)

We had never done this before either, so it was a treat!  Each of us were given our own drawing stations and the instructor walked us through the steps of how to draw Eeyore.

It was a great experience!  

After class, Honey went up to the instructor and asked about how to draw Chip n' Dale. (Have I mentioned that they are my ALL TIME FAVORITE characters?)  He took out a fresh piece of paper & in a matter of seconds (literally!) had created a masterpiece that he was kind enough to sign and let me keep!  (squeal!)  Now I just need to find a special place to put it (hmmm....)

Because of our Dessert Party later on, we made reservations for an early dinner at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant. So off to eat we went . . . 

This is a dinner & show, so to speak, set up like a 1950's drive-in theater.  No matter what time of day, you dine under the stars seated in a classic car-shaped booth while watching clips from various B-rated Sci-Fi movies of the 50s & 60s.  It's definitely an experience to be sure! We have been here before & enjoyed the atmosphere as well as the All-American cuisine, complete with burgers and milkshakes to die for!  Our kids enjoyed it, but it may not be for those with younger kids due to the nature of the movies.  It's Disney, so nothing gory or gross ... think the REALLY old Godzilla movies & you'll get the idea.  :)

We finished eating just as the sun was about to set, so we headed over to the Streets of America to see the switch "flipped" that turns on all the holiday lights that make up the wonder that is The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights.  I say "wonder" because it is MILLIONS of Christmas lights and decorations that are set to music that cover the entire street from top to bottom.  Not to mention, it snows there as well.  :)

The story behind the light show is that the Osborne family set up an elaborate lights display every holiday season, which grew in size every year.  In 1995, the family decided to share their "Magic" and Disney made it a special part of their holiday celebrations for all to see.  These pictures don't even do it justice!

At long last, The Frozen Dessert Party was about to start.  Cue the fanfare....

  
We walked through the gates at the end of the Streets of America to a special area designed and decorated especially for the party.  It was truly a sight to see!  And it had the most amazing view ...

We picked up our goodie bags, complete with 3D glasses that turned each little light into the shape of a Mickey head.  Unaware of this little extra, included in our gift from my parents were glasses that turned the lights into little snowmen.  Great minds think alike!!  And so much fun!

There was every kind of dessert that you could imagine!  From cupcakes to chocolate mousse, eclairs to creme puffs and don't forget the infamous Mickey Ice Cream Bars!  YUM!

There was also a bar that served kid-friendly beverages that included soda, water, and sparkling juice as well as adult beverages like champagne and beer.  

Everything had a Frozen inspired name and was displayed perfectly according to theme of the movie.  Too say we enjoyed ourselves would be an understatement!  Did we eat too much... Yes.  Was it worth it ... Definitely!!  Thank you Mom & Dad/Grandma J & Grandpa B for such an unforgettable gift!!  It couldn't have been more special than if it was sealed with a kiss . ..

Obviously, I love pretty much everything at Disney, but there are 2 things that I would have to say are my most favorite of all.  The first being "Wishes", the fireworks display at the Magic Kingdom and second, "Fantasmic" at Hollywood Studios.  I get goosebumps when the music starts, teary-eyed when the music ends and grin from ear to ear during everything in between.

It takes place in an outdoor amphitheater with amazing special effects, lights, lasers, pyrotechnics and 1 million gallons of water.  All combined to create the perfect atmosphere that makes you feel as if you are entering into Mickey's dreams.  It all starts off sunshine and roses until the Evil Queen, from Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, brings together the other Disney villains to turn his dreams into a nightmare.

But of course, Mickey's imagination can't be turned evil & he inevitably saves the day!

Where he's then joined by his friends in celebration . . . (The number of Characters included in this show is unbelievable, which is one of the reasons I think I like it so much!)

I love absolutely every single minute of it!  It's "Fantastmic"!