Holidays Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Halloween Lighting Fun

October 19, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Philips Hue via Momtrends Media. The opinions are mine and are not indicative of the opinions of Philips Hue or Momtrends Media.

Growing up, my family always loved Halloween, and the entire neighborhood made it extra special and exciting. Us kids really looked forward to the candy, food, costumes and friends! Now with my kids, I try to make it just as much fun – and this year, we’re going way beyond the ‘normal’ with some Halloween Lighting Fun! Whether you’re throwing a monster bash, want to greet trick-or-treaters in a frightfully delightful way, or just want to add more witch’s magic to your kids’ holiday, this is sure to be a hit for the whole family.

One of my favorite parts of the Halloween season is all the COLORS – from the colorful treats and decor, to the costumes and makeup. This year, we’re taking ‘colorful’ to a whole new level thanks to the Philips Hue Go. Y’all know how much we love our Philips Hue smart lighting system, but I have to say that this piece just screams (or glows) FUN! Using the Hue app on your smartphone or tablet, you can personalize the light to match any theme or atmosphere you want. To make it even more convenient, you can control your Hue lighting with just your voice using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri with Apple HomeKit.

One you have the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance starter kit, just add a Philips Hue Go to your system. The Hue Go is great because it’s portable lighting. One option is to plug it into a power outlet and shine it on your walls to paint them with colored or white light. We’re going with the more flexible option for our Halloween lighting fun this year, though! The rechargeable internal battery can last up to 3 hours, and even when it’s in portable mode, you can STILL control it with your smart device. So if you’re busy handing candy to the newest monsters and heroes to knock on your door, you can still play with the countless color options.

For us, we wanted to make a super colorful, exciting witch cauldron with smoke – cue the dry ice! Now, keep in mind that the Philips Hue Go is not waterproof. You need to use caution and common sense – make sure the light isn’t touching (or even too close) to the water or dry ice. We made sure we had a DEEP bucket, put the water and dry ice at the bottom, then set our light on something else several inches above those (but still hidden at the top of the bucket). It was incredible how cool the smoke looked with the various colors as it flowed out of the bucket and over our Halloween table spread!

The kids love making ‘spooky’ (okay, so they’re too adorable to be very scary, but they tried) and silly faces behind the light, and to pretend they’re casting ‘spells’ over the cauldron – I mean, bucket! We kept switching up the colors from a favorite pumpkin-like orange, to an eerie witch-green tone. There’s even pre-set light scenes in the app such as Blood Moon or Blue Lagoon. Have a special backdrop or photo? The Hue app can extract the colors from your image and apply it to your lights, making your Halloween atmosphere complete perfection.

Make the ultimate trick-or-treat stop or create haunted house effects with Hue’s special Halloween lighting formulas. You can recreate a lightning effect – or make it appear like a mischievous ghost is switching the color and brightness of your lights! The third-party app Hue Haunted House can add flashes and flickering to your colored lights for more Halloween fun, as well as combine haunting sounds and lighting effects to make anyone jump – enter the creepy ghost sounds or eerie piano music! Another option for a thrilling sound and light show is to download the Hue Sync app (available for Windows 10 PCs or macOS computers) to sync your Hue lights to the beat of your chosen Halloween-related music tracks. I think a set of Thriller is a definite must-do!

We’re all counting down the days until Halloween this year, and are so excited to show off our fun lighting with friends and visitors! Thanks to Philips Hue smart lighting, anyone can turn their everyday lighting into an extraordinary experience. Halloween is the perfect time to play with light and color and create an amazing ambiance, but it doesn’t have to end there – use it any day of the year! Once you nab the start kit, it’s simple to add more of Hue’s products like the Go to REALLY turn your house into the spookiest (or most thrilling) in the neighborhood!

What’s YOUR favorite Halloween color?

20 DIY Halloween Mason Jars

October 15, 2018 by Danielle 2 Comments

I love doing crafts, especially around the holidays. They’re just extra special, plus you can do decor or gifts and consider it a check off your list of to-dos anyway! For some extra fun, here’s a list of 20 DIY Halloween Mason Jars – you can pick from spiders or monsters, bats or candy corn, even cute ‘BOO’ jars for some festive decor!

My personal favorites are the mummy jars because they’re so dang cute! My kids would have a fun time with several of these, including the ghost lanterns. There’s a little something for everyone, so pick your favorite and get your Halloween craft on with these fun Halloween Mason Jars!

Mason Jar Crafts Love – Zombie Mason Jars

Blue i Style – Mason Jar Jack O Lanterns

Mabey She Made It – DIY Halloween Treat Jar

A Pumpkin and a Princess – Halloween Etched Glass Mason Jar Luninaries

Crafts by Amanda – Frankenstein Luminaries

Kids Craft Room – Neon Mason Jar Mummies

Landeelou – Black and White Halloween Painted Mason Jars

Just a Girl and Her Blog – Halloween Mason Jar Luminaries

Two Sisters Crafting – Spooky Halloween Mason Jars

MomDot – Halloween Drip Painted Mason Jars

Oh So Savvy Mom – DIY Upcycled Halloween Village Luminaries

Anne’s Entitled Life – Sugar Skull Mason Jar

Mason Jar Crafts Love – Candy Corn Mason Jars

Yesterday on Tuesday – Lighted Halloween Mason Jar

Simply Kierste – Mason Jar Ghost Lantern

It All Started With Paint – Mummy Mason Jars

Miss Information – Halloween Luninaries

House of Hawthornes – Painted Halloween Mason Jar Craft

Bee of Good Cheer – Polka Dot Candy Corn Mason Jar

MomDot – Halloween Mason Jars

Easy Chocolate Strawberry Brownie Cakes

February 5, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Chocolate and strawberry – what a great combination! And since it’s almost Valentine’s Day, I thought it’d be fun to share this super simple-to-make dessert that not only tastes incredible, but is just like having a match made in heaven! Make these Easy Chocolate Strawberry Brownie Cakes for your special someone, or just enjoy them with your girlfriends – heck, save them all for yourself, if that’s what you’d prefer! Whatever you choose, this dessert is perfect for really any time of year.

Don’t they LOOK amazing, too? Using the heart-shaped cookie cutter gives them that extra Valentine-y appearance, but you could use any shape to change up the occasion as you’d like. You don’t need it to be a holiday to enjoy a tasty dessert recipe. And as a bonus, it only takes about FIVE ingredients!

A perk for right now – strawberries seem to go on really good sales at the grocery store during Valentines, so it’s a great time to nab some so you can garnish these treats. I’m personally a HUGE fan of strawberries – how about you?

Note – makes about 4 stacked cakes

Ingredients

Brownies – cut into shape of choice (I made two 13×9 pans of brownies, and my cutter shapes were roughly 3.25″ in diameter so I got about 12 pieces)
2 packets (0.3 oz each) Strawberry Gelatin Powder
2 cups Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
4 tbsp. Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
Strawberries, sprinkles – for garnish, as desired

Directions

Make sure the brownies are fully cooled.
In a mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, pudding mix and powdered sugar on medium-high power about 2 minutes. Add the strawberry gelatin powder and beat until light and fluffy.
Take one brownie piece and spread some frosting over it. Place another brownie piece and spread frosting on that. Top with a final brownie piece, then some frosting on top. Garish with sprinkles and strawberries, as desired.
Repeat for the other stacks: brownie, frosting, brownie, frosting, brownie, frosting – garnish on top.

Store any leftovers, covered, in the fridge. Feel free to add some red food coloring if you want a darker pink/red for your frosting.

If you want a stronger strawberry taste, you can add another small (0.3 oz) packet of strawberry gelatin powder. Likewise, if you want very little strawberry flavoring, leave one of the packets out of the recipe. Don’t be afraid to make it your own!

You can even use any excess frosting (or make more) and frost all the SIDES of the brownies stacks, too – making it look like a tall, frosted mini cake ready to enjoy.

The kids were so excited to get an early Valentine-themed dessert, and hubby was thrilled that there was a treat that did contain chocolate, but had enough strawberry element that he loved it (for those that don’t know, he’s not a fan of most chocolate things – but this was a hit)!

I’m looking forward to trying the frosting with different flavored gelatin mixes to shake things up – who knows, maybe a different type will be the new favorite.

What’s YOUR favorite chocolate strawberry recipe?

Other Easy Dessert Recipes…

DIY Valentine Frame from Craft Sticks

January 30, 2018 by Danielle 2 Comments

Let this sink in for a moment – it’s less than a month until Valentine’s Day. Please tell me I’m not the only one in shock – I mean, didn’t it just turn 2018, and already we’re looking to February?! Well, whether we’re ready or not, the holiday is coming – so to TRY and get myself in the festive pink-and-red-everything mood, I wanted to share this fun DIY Valentine Frame from Craft Sticks that I put together.

It’s surprisingly easy, aside from getting the glitter off your hands afterwards (really, I need to find a reliable trick that will help me get rid of the random glitter that sticks around for days after a project because DANG it’s everywhere). You don’t even need a ton of stuff, and you can even let the kids make their own sweet valentine frame for a neat holiday craft.

I love that it’s 3-D looking due to the layer and stacking of the sticks, and that you can customize it to fit your own preferences. Hate pink? Don’t use it. Want larger sparkles instead of tiny glitter? Do it. This is YOUR Valentine frame, so make it your own!

Supplies

12 full craft sticks
6 full craft sticks cut in half (so 12 halves) – be sure to cut off the sharp edges
Hot glue/gun
Glue Stick
Glitter, sparkles, accents, ribbon, etc. as you see fit
Photo

Directions

If you haven’t already, cut the 6 craft sticks into halves (does NOT have to be perfect, just ‘ish’). Then, pour your glitter/sparkles of choice into a large plate or tray. I mixed a few colors to get a variety mix (silver, white, pink and purple). Rub one side of each stick (including the halves) with your glue stick – one stick at a time – then rub in the glitter mixture to coat that side. Set aside to dry as you continue with all the sticks.
Follow the following diagram below to arrange and hot glue your sticks together. 1: put 2 sticks on the left and 2 sticks on the right, connecting at the bottom point of the ‘heart’ (don’t glue in this step). 2: glue a stick on top & between the two sticks on each side (shown in photo 2 and 3 below). 3: glue 2 halves on the top right and 2 halves on the top left to angle in towards the top of the ‘heart’. 4: Turn over and glue 2 halves under the left and 2 halves under the right to do the final point down and in to finish the ‘heart’ shape. 5: Turn it back over and glue 1 half on the left and 1 half on the right to make the top center part more sturdy. 6: Glue 1 half to the left and 1 half to the right for the top ‘corner edge’ parts of the heart – again, to make it sturdy.
To finish it up, glue a ‘handle’ to the back & bottom of your heart shape with the last full craft stick piece!
Then all you have left is to carefully trace & cut out your photo so it fits on the back of your frame, then carefully glue along the edges so it stays in place.

That’s it! I know that may seem like a lot of steps, but it’s truly simple and takes hardly any time at all. In fact, doing the glitter on the sticks is what took me the longest of everything! Just be sure to follow that diagram photo so you have a visual to help keep it as easy as possible.

You can add accent pieces – like a little ‘jewel’ – or a ribbon, as you see fit. Like I said – make it YOURS! Or customize to the person you’re giving it to 🙂

I had to add the photo hubby and I had taken during family pictures last month because I absolutely LOVE it! Often us moms forget to get photos of us with our kids, and sometimes even less do we get photos with our honey. That’s something I’m trying to work on this year – more photos WITH those I love, not just of them!

One last tip – if you don’t want the ‘craft stick’ tan color showing through, you can use markers or paint before hand to color it, or just be sure to layer up the glitter a lot for full coverage. I kind of like the randomness and dimension to it, but that’s just my personal preference.

What photo would YOU put in this fun DIY Valentine frame?

More Valentine’s Day Crafts

14 Days of Valentines

January 25, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

February is next week – seriously?! New Years is long forgotten, and I’m actually writing 2018 properly on the date now. This year seems to be flying by already! While I’m sitting here a bit dazed about that fact, at least I’m ‘semi’ prepared with a special gift for hubby. If you’re looking to do a thoughtful 14 Days of Valentines gift, these cute and customizable envelopes are PERFECT! I love how simple it is, plus you can craft, decorate or fix them up however you’d like.

You can do the 14 days of Valentines starting on February 1st and work your way UP to February 14th, Valentines Day – or start it on that day and work from there, it’s totally up to you. I prefer working up to Valentines, and having the last envelope hold things for a date night or special dinner. You can include things like sweet notes, photos of memories, gift cards, a note saying where their gift is hidden (for example: find your new comfy gift in the dryer – and it’s a new blanket or slippers, etc.). You don’t need to spend a bunch at all, just focus on what you want to give your sweetheart that they’d really love and appreciate.

When I saw these envelopes on Amazon, I knew they’d be the perfect thing to use for this project – not only are they easy to fold up, but the little ‘tab’ has a heart shape! They’re also a great size – not too big and not too small, either. They come in a pack of 50 – so you have PLENTY! They’re that nice, clean manilla color, so you can paint, color with markers, write on, or whatever you want to make them yours. Below, I’m sharing the fun striped heart decoration I did for the back of them.

Supplies

Heart-tabbed envelopes
Red, Black and/or White paper strips (or color of choice)
Large sturdy paper for attaching
Glue
Scissors
Number stickers (1 through 14)
Photos, notes, gift cards, etc. to put inside your envelopes

Directions

Glue your strips randomly into rows on your larger sheet of paper. Trim off the edges that stick over, so all the area has that firm backing to it.
Draw/trace heart shapes onto your piece of striped paper, then cut out carefully.
Glue onto the back of your envelopes, also included a numbered sticker so you know what day goes with what envelope.
Close up your envelope with your gift/photo/note inside, then surprise your sweetie with a special 14 days of Valentines gift!

If you want to get extra decorative, you can even color (or put glue and add sparkles) to that little heart tab. I chose not to, but maybe that’s what you’d prefer for your own set.

If your gifts don’t really matter which order they’re opened in, you can skip the numbered sticker part. If you need to know what’s being opened that day – in case it’s a time-sensitive gift, or you need to place the actual gift somewhere – then be sure you have some way to know which envelope goes with what day.

Another fun idea would be a ‘scavenger hunt’ – so do all 14 envelopes/gifts at once, but have the first one hold a clue to find the second, then so forth until the 14th one is the BIG FINALE. The ones leading up can hold just clues, or also include small gifts or sweet thoughts/memories.

I’m considering doing random ‘memories of us’ notes in the extra envelopes I have and bring them out at unexpected times of the year for the special surprise for hubby. Maybe include photos of us and/or the memories the note is about. That’d be a good way to make your significant other feel loved all throughout the year, not just on holidays!

Now that I’m thinking of more ideas for these envelopes, I think they’d also work as class Valentines – have your child decorate each envelope as they want, then stick a gift (nothing bulky or too big, but like an eraser, sticker, even Pokemon card or something) inside. Cute and original!

What are you getting YOUR special someone for Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day Must Haves for Geeks

January 22, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Ya’ll know that I love Star Wars, superhero stuff and plenty of other nerdy goodness, right? As I was browsing my ‘wish list’ for next month, I thought it’d be fun to share these Valentine’s Day Must Haves for Geeks that I found that would be PERFECT for that special someone on your list!

So don’t be mad, but I’m honestly not sure the difference between geek and nerd – I know, ridiculous! All I know is I absolutely LOVE all these fun, dorky things and would be thrilled to receive any of these fun Valentine’s Day gift ideas. *Hint Hint* hubby! 😉

Typical flower bouquets are great, but why not switch it up & be unique with a PLUSH bouquet?! You can nab a variety of them here, such as Star Wars, Kittens, Unicorns, Science, Mom-themed and many more!

Wonder Woman Moto-Style Jacket

Matching ‘I love you/I know’ bracelets? Yes, please!

Guardians of the Galaxy Cassette Tape BAG

8-bit Soap Set – with sword!

An old-school 8-bit heart watch is perfect for that special someone

The One Ring Gollum – Necklace

‘Love is Most Magical of All’ The One Ring

‘I Am Groot‘ Ladies Silver Ring

Pokemon Eevee Bag

Legends of Zelda Boxers

Star Wars The Force Awakens Purses

Harry Potter Crest Ties

Groot Watch

Star Wars BB-8 Tattoo Duffel Purse

Star Wars Rebel Alliance Purse

What nerdy/geeky gift would YOU like for Valentine’s Day?

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2017 by Danielle Leave a Comment

As we’re all enjoying our families and friends this week, I just want to take a moment to say a huge THANK YOU for all of the support this year. If it wasn’t for you looking at our posts, sharing our posts on social channels or showing the love by commenting and trying our tutorials or tips, we wouldn’t be able to keep going with this blog. It means so much to us, and hope we can bring you even more and better things in 2018. So to all of you: Merry Christmas, and wishing you a wonderful New Year!

May we always remember the reason for the season – to show kindness, love and service to others, just as Christ did. Let’s look past the gifts and focus on the memories, on doing good for others – and hopefully together we can help heal this troubled world.

Lots of love, hugs & hopeful wishes,

Danielle & The Whole Reeves Family

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit

December 20, 2017 by Danielle 2 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StockedWithLove #CollectiveBias

Why oh why do I let Christmas sneak up on me every single year? I thought I was *super* on the ball this year, having all the kids’ gifts done and wrapped shortly after Thanksgiving – but I completely forgot all their teachers! Between my five kiddos, we have 8 main school teachers (some switch half-day, so have two main teachers), plus several assistants, six dance instructors and four karate professors. Instead of blasting holiday music and curling up with some hot chocolate trying to ignore the fact I hadn’t gotten them gifts, I got creative. It’s super easy to customize cheap, plain stockings to make the perfect Teacher Gift Idea – a Survival Kit to help get them through the rest of the year!

Hover on the image below for some super easy shopping for the fun BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages holiday collection online!

Since I was extremely scrunched on time, and determined to tackle this last ‘big’ task I had before really relaxing for the holiday, I swung by Target to get everything I needed to create these fun teacher stocking gifts. While you should definitely get some fun items to stick in their stocking – like a gift card, cute mug, fun note pad or candies – be sure to stock up on stuff that are much-needed in classrooms. There’s several things that work for ANY type of teacher – be it school, dance, karate or whatever – such as packs of BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages. And guess what? Their festive BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages holiday collection is on sale in the ads during the week of 12/17! You can nab 2 for just $5, making them a very useful (aka necessary) classroom item for a great price.

Since kids have a tendency to get hurt even in the strangest of ways, any parent, teacher or instructor is smart to have BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages on-hand because they heal hurts faster and are the #1 doctor recommended brand. Target also has Paw Patrol and Star Wars BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages, which make for great stocking stuffers for the kids, so why not grab a few of those while you’re there?

Here’s some more survival kit ideas you can include:

Hand Sanitizer
Glue Sticks
Crayons, Markers, Pencils, Pens, etc.
Tissues
Room Scent Spray
Lint roller
Target gift card – to buy whatever else they may be needing!

Don’t forget the stuff that’s just for fun, as well!

To Customize Your Teacher Stocking

Supplies:

Generic Stocking in size of choice
Ribbon, Beads, etc.
Accent Decor (felt or thin wood shapes, sparkles, glitter, etc.)
Hot Glue/Gun

Directions

Use hot glue to attach a ribbon or strand of beads to create a line accent, – this can work at the top, around the bottom of the ‘cuff’ of the stocking, or even all around the edges of the stocking part. I did two as a strip at the top, then cut some bead strands to ‘dangle’.
Before glueing, decide on a pattern/style you want for the stocking by laying out your accent pieces/decor. Once you’ve found the spots/pattern you want, carefully hot glue them in place. Once dry, rub a little where there’s excess hot glue sticking out to help remove those loose ‘glue strings’ that sometimes occur.
Fill with teacher gift items- the fun AND the useful – and BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages.

See, it’s really easy to turn a simple, plain stocking into a personalized and fun gift packaging! You can even have your kids help pick out the decorations and design the gift, making it extra special. Just be sure to watch them with the hot glue, please!

If you have room in the stocking, you can even have your child write a few thoughtful notes or memories to stick in there as a special surprise that is sure to mean a lot to their teacher. I even put in a few from me, since I’m sure they don’t hear gratitude from the parents often enough.

Now that I’ve got gifts done for the MANY teachers in our lives, I think I’ll take this same idea and make miniature ones for people who very rarely get recognition – like the mailman or people that work the garbage trucks! It’s amazing how many people there are that have an impact on our lives – even if it’s ‘just’ delivering mail or removing our trash from the curb. I’m trying to show a little more gratitude this year, and love that I can easily do that in a fun way without taking up much of my little time. After all, the kids are out of school early Wednesday then it’s going to be a rare moment I’ll have much time at all until they go back in January – but I’m really looking forward to all the family time! 🙂

What other teacher survival kit items would YOU include?

Christmas Holidays at Walt Disney World

December 14, 2017 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Remember how I said I was thrilled to make a visit to Orlando to experience all four Disney parks last week? Well, it may have been a super-rushed trip, but I was determined to fit in as much as I could – and today I’m sharing all the fun, festive happenings (and treat-enings – get it?) that occur during the Christmas Holidays at Walt Disney World!

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I’ll divide it up by park, so you can see what each one has to offer in terms of the special ‘extras’ for this time of year. Let’s start with the one most people think of first…

Magic Kingdom

When people look to visit Disney World during Christmastime, they often only think about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (you can read my recap of that HERE). It’s very similar in idea as the Not-So-Scary Halloween party, with complimentary treats (cookies, chocolates, pretzels) and drinks (eggnog, cider, cocoa, sno-cones) instead of trick-or-treating, and of course more holiday themed. While I admit this is a HUGE draw for guests, and definitely worth going to if you can swing the price tag, it’s not the only reason you should experience the Christmas holidays at Walt Disney World.

Outside of the party, there’s tons of decorations everywhere – from the garlands, bows and lights that adorn most entries and poles, to the red and white poinsettias adorning gardens and baskets. There’s even lights, wreaths and bells adding to the atmosphere, and even many of the snack carts are feeling that holiday cheer.

Once you get through the ticket entrance, the area right before the train station is a giant red poinsettia Mickey ornament – perfect for a holiday family photo! Go to the right or left and through the entry archways, and you’ll emerge to see a GINORMOUS Christmas tree, surrounded by large gifts and toy soldiers!

At night, Cinderella’s Castle is light up with sparkly, twinkling lights that take it to a whole new level of magical. It was my favorite thing, and I admit I took ‘more than a few’ photos of this delightful sight 😉

Many of the cast members wear holiday-themed outfits and/or Santa hats, and you can even see some of your favorite characters dressed up with a little more Christmas/winter to their outfits, which makes for some extra special meet-and-greet photos.

There’s also an area for Santa – check out the schedule for times when you’re there!

Don’t forget to make a stop by the ‘Jingle Cruise’ as well – even the boats are fun holiday-themed names, the skippers wear Santa hats, and the whole que & ride are dressed up for the occasion!

Some snack locations have seasonal treats that are definitely worth a try, so either check your program or – even better – ask a cast member and they can lead you the right direction! Be sure to contact Michael’s VIPs for their wonderful tour guide services, especially as the holidays can be extra crowded & you want the best trip possible!

Hollywood Studios

With the exception of a few spots (near Star Tours), Hollywood Studios was decorated as much as – or perhaps a little more – than Magic Kingdom. Bright stars from Christmas lights that changed color, wreaths, bells and classic-looking signs featuring Santa, reindeer and more, plus Echo Lake had HUGE ornaments floating in it! The dinosaur even had on a fun Santa hat, and some displays of statue deer and such helped add to the whole feel.

In the evening, there’s the Seasons Greetings show (that may repeat a couple of times, I wasn’t quite sure exactly) over by the Tower of Terror. Along the street leading up to that area are two screens that show a mini video clip, then a great display is projected onto the Tower of Terror with music to match the little clip you just saw. They had the Muppet Chef Guy (I know, I should remember his name, but I can’t) that built a Gingerbread house on the movie clip, then the Tower showed a huge creation out of gingerbread to playful music.

Olaf’s clip was finding a holiday tradition, then the song played along with images of traditions and such.

Even Toy Story got in on the fun, making it the Hollywood Toyland Hotel! I thought this show was INCREDIBLE, and would’ve loved to show my kids! The lights along that street switch around depending on which clip is playing, and ‘snow’ is pumped out, so it’s like a magical snowfall all down the street. That snow continued almost the entire evening it seemed!

On the Chinese Theater was the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! show that I’ve heard several people rave about – but personally, I was a little disappointed by it. Yes, it’s fun with the Elves and rescuing Santa, and it does have fun montages and music. But overall, there was too much to look at with all the different screens it was playing on, plus fireworks, plus laser light show. I even saw several people watch a bit, then decide to leave before it was done. It wasn’t bad by any means, and there were plenty of folks who loved it – it just wasn’t my cup of tea, I suppose. If you’ve seen it – let us know what you thought in the comments!

One thing I really loved was this fun window display, full of dancing ornaments!

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Loved these dancing Minnie ornaments in a shop window at Hollywood Studios at #waltdisneyworld #bmhtravel #hollywoodstudios #Disney #Christmas #holidays
A post shared by Danielle (@busymomshelper) on Dec 12, 2017 at 12:12pm PST

I believe that at the Hollywood & Vine, they have a special Minnie Mouse Holiday buffet meal, but I didn’t personally go check this out. That’s one drawback to a solo trip – less excuse to take time for real dining!

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Epcot

I was most excited to see Epcot during the holidays (other than Magic Kingdom, of course) because I’d heard of the amazing ‘holidays around the world’ displays and such. Perhaps it was just that I was there earlier in the day, but it seemed a big let-down. There was a lot of decor – ginormous tree, plenty of garlands and lights and fun garden characters for the holidays. There was a stage where one of the shows would be (again, I was there earlier in the day – since this was a quick trip I couldn’t fit in everything unfortunately – so I missed the shows).

I did see several kiosks that were ‘holiday kitchen’ – featuring some seasonal snacks and drinks. Most of them weren’t open when I was there, though, despite being there until about 2pm. I did enjoy the displays in the various areas, telling a bit about that country’s traditions.

Keep in mind that I was there EARLIER in the day, only until early afternoon, so perhaps all the main holiday happenings occur after that – so don’t write off Epcot just yet. And if YOU have experienced some of the festivities at Epcot, please share in the comments!

Animal Kingdom

Guys, this is my favorite park (because it has TWO of my FOUR favorite rides – Flights of Passage & Everest)! That being said, it was very limited in the holiday-theming department. And maybe that was intentional, so they could keep the different lands more accurate and true to themselves. There was some decor around, but not much at all compared to the other parks, and just normal (yet still good) music playing. Again, this could be in keeping with the different ‘continents’ and areas, so this isn’t a complaint at all – just giving you a heads up that there’s not a lot of holiday-ness at Animal Kingdom. The main exception seemed to be the entrance, where they had the wreaths, garlands, and large Christmas tree up for plenty of photo opps. It was still great and lots of fun!

In ALL FOUR of the parks, you can find special holiday-themed merchandise in the stores – from ornaments and decor, to seasonal snacks and clothing, and much more. They even had a stuffed Stitch with a Santa hat that I wanted so badly to get for hubby, but stuck to my budget. I *did* get two candy apples though to bring home for the family to share – one decorated as a Mickey Mouse Santa. They also had a holiday Jack Skellington (Sandy Claws), Blue Snowflake and others to choose from. The lady at the counter asked if I was planning to take them on a plane, and when I said yes she popped out a sturdy box and packed them extra carefully – so grateful, and they made it home perfectly!

Most of the parks were also playing fun Christmas/Holiday music, which really helped put everyone in the spirit of the season! Overall, I absolutely LOVED experiencing the holidays at Walt Disney World, and can’t wait to take my kids there during this season sometime in the future! We’ll, of course, be using Michael’s VIPs for our guides since they’re absolutely AMAZING!

What’s YOUR favorite holiday thing at Disney World?

Hubby Date Night Gift Basket with Free Printable

December 11, 2017 by Danielle 2 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. Product was provided by the client for review; however, all opinions are mine alone. #WorldsSmartestToothbrush #PhilipsSonicare #OprahsFavoriteThings #CollectiveBias

I don’t know about you, but I love choosing gifts for my family and friends, but have to admit that there’s a few that are always difficult to buy for – and often it’s the men! Since it can often be the best idea to give activities or experiences, I thought it’d be fun to make a Hubby Date Night Gift Basket – with Free Printable, of course. With this, you can include plenty of neat gifts into a creative basket, plus YOU get a date out of it, as well! You’re welcome 🙂

Click the little tag in the image below for easy shopping & to nab your own Philips® Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9300 Rechargeable Toothbrush!

When choosing what to include in your date night gift basket, keep in mind things that not only would be useful during your date – like a blanket, sparkling cider, gift card to a restaurant or movie passes, but also things to help your significant other get ready for your special night. I put some new shave stuff in for my hubby, knowing how he likes to have a clean shave before we get to go out (and he knows I love it, too!). He’s also really careful with his oral care, so I was thrilled to give him the Philips® Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9300 Rechargeable Toothbrush. The Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9500 Rechargeable Toothbrush was named one of Oprah’s Favorite things in 2017, so I was sure this one would be perfect, as well! I love seeing the items she includes each year, and know this will be a great gift for anyone on your holiday shopping list. You can even nab it off Amazon, so no need to go to the store!

I got my first Philips Sonicare for Mother’s Day a couple years ago, so have learned that they’re a great brand that I trust to follow there’s saying ‘There’s Always a Way to Make Life Better’. I can see why it’d be included on this year’s list, because the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean has 4 modes plus 3 intensities to let you focus on each aspect of your oral health, with the premium brush heads giving you exceptional results. We all have different needs, right? With this, the sensors and app help you perfect YOUR technique, giving you a complete clean. The Sonicare app even gives you real-time feedback and personalized coaching – that alone can be the perfect holiday gift!

Other ideas could be their favorite candies, a new shirt to wear on the date, a favorite cologne, or maybe a CD with music from when you started dating. There’s so many different things you could do, so feel free to customize it to your significant other – just like Philips Sonicare DiamondClean helps you customize your oral health care!

After you’ve decided on the gifts you’ll include in your date night gift basket, be sure to get a box, basket, or container that will FIT it nicely. I did a smaller basket inside a larger one to add some dimension – I’ve always been a fan of attractive gifting and wrapping!

Next, download and print off your Date Night Gift Basket Tag HERE

Don’t forget to sign your name at the bottom! For some extra fine, you can even write a sweet, thoughtful or funny message on the back of it! Sorry, not sharing a photo of my message to hubby 😉 Then get a ribbon and attach the tag to your date night gift basket.

That’s all it takes, and you’ve got SEVERAL gifts for your honey – plus the promise of a date night for you BOTH!

If you want to wrap it all up as a surprise under the tree, you could also do colored tissue paper inside cellophane wrap around it – making it one big, carefully wrapped gift to sit there and tease your hubby as to what’s inside! I didn’t wait until Christmas for ours, but love the idea of wrapping it up like that so he has no clue what it is. Oh – and don’t forget to line up a babysitter, if needed, so there’s no obstacles in your way for a wonderful date night this holiday!

Give the gift of superior sonic technology and even treat yourself to a great date night!

Learn more from Philips Sonicare on their Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram or even Youtube!

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

December 1, 2017 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I have no idea how many years I’ve wanted to spend the actual Christmas season (not the day, of course, but sometime around then) at a Disney theme park. When hubby suggested I do a quick trip over my birthday to check out all their holiday offerings, I was THRILLED! And of course I couldn’t miss out on Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom!

First things first – it isn’t the normal theme park entry ticket. Even if you have an annual pass, or paid for a regular ticket for that day, you do NOT get to go to the party unless you buy the actual Very Merry Christmas Party ticket. They range in price from the $80-$102 range, depending on child or adult and the dates. They begin filtering out those guests who do NOT have a pass to the party in the late afternoon, then the ‘official’ party begins at 7pm. Don’t worry though – if you have a ticket to the party, you can get into the Magic Kingdom starting at 4pm, too! That gives you a few extra hours of fun before the festivities really begin.

Similar to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, there’s special ‘treat’ stations around the park – but you don’t go trick-or-treating. Instead, they have various snacks and drinks for you, such as cookies or Dove chocolates, and cider, eggnog, snow cones and hot cocoa. These are complimentary during the party, so don’t hesitate to enjoy! I especially loved the soft ginger-molasses ones served at Liberty Town Hall. Look on your special party map for the candy cane signs, then keep an eye out along your path for the TALL blow-up candy canes showing you where that treat spot is.

There’s also some special characters that come out, though not as many as the Halloween party (at least that I could tell). The big hit seemed to be Jack Skellington as ‘Sandy Claws’ – if you want to see him, better line up early! I was told he shows up starting at about 6pm (unofficially told, so don’t be upset if that’s incorrect), and when I passed by at 6:35pm it looked like the line was already a good 45 minutes long at least!

There’s fun holiday lights all over the park, and everything seems to glow in reds, greens and blues for the season. My absolute FAVORITE part was the castle though – it’s GORGEOUS all lit up in sparkling lights that look like crystal snow! If you go on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – when you’re going up the second incline slowly – look to your right to check out a new point of view of this beautiful castle.

There’s SO MUCH TO DO during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, so be sure to plan out your evening to fit in the items at the top of your list! Here’s a breakdown….

Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration

This takes place in front of the castle, and if you want a really good spot you HAVE to get there pretty early. Mickey, Minnie and a BUNCH of their Disney pals put on a song-filled show that kids and adults were dancing and singing along with. The first song was – I admit – a little strange, and made me feel like it was Disney’s attempt at being ‘cool’ with the new generations. Just watch it and you’ll understand..and maybe text your holiday greetings this holiday 😉

All the songs were great fun, and it was a good length that kids didn’t seem to loose interest. I think my kids would’ve LOVED it, because even I thought it was really entertaining – plus you see so many of the favorite characters at once!

A Frozen Holiday Wish

This was timed really well, so most were able to stay in their spot from Mickey’s show to see Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and good ol’ Olaf greet the ‘villagers’ of this new land, and watch as Elsa uses her amazing powers to bring the castle to life with bright, sparkling crystals! Any Frozen fans will surely not want to miss this.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade

Anna and Elsa join the parade with a bunch of holiday-dressed friends, from the classics like Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy, to the princesses WITH their princes, and even Vanellope and Ralph show up in Christmas-clad fun! At the end, the BIG MAN himself makes an appearance, which was a big delight for all the guests! This usually occurs very shortly after the stage shows, so I recommend getting a spot for those near the castle but along the curb, so you can just turn around and be right in front for the parade.

If the kids are near the edge, usually the cast members will do something entertaining with them until the parade starts to keep them happy and occupied. The group by where I was standing were twirling and dancing, then taking turns having each side of the road yell ‘Merry’ then the other ‘Christmas’!

A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas!

This was great for little kids, but also for the pre-teens because it was more bouncy-type music that plenty of people were rockin’ around to. Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski and Stitch join in this musical fun, and the end holds a big surprise as the crew sings to welcome ‘Santa’! Honestly, this was probably my favorite little show because it wasn’t too long, the songs were fun, the dancing was unique and great, and the ‘story’ was really sweet. Plus – STITCH!!! Don’t miss this over in Tomorrowland.

VoicePlay

These guys are a vocals-only group that sings several holiday tunes for a festive little dance party in Tomorrowland, as well. It was more like a ‘mini-concert’ than a ‘show’, but still plenty of good times to be had by all. A sweet little ol’ lady was near me and just dancing around like crazy. I want to be HER when I grow up!

Club Tinsel

Over at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe was an on-going party that went the entire time Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party lasts. With an awesome DJ, blasting music, fun lights and an open dance floor, I saw several parents unable to get their kids away because they were having a total blast! Characters like polar bears or reindeer switch out during the night, so your kiddos always have some fun new friends to dance with/around.

This would be PERFECT if you parents need a little rest – sit at a table to keep an eye on our kids, then let them wear themselves out with a holiday dance party!

Holiday Wishes Fireworks

You know the drill – get your spot EARLY if you’re picky! These were actually really well done – and don’t miss Tinkerbelle flying from the castle (to the right side) at the beginning! Done to beautiful music, with Jiminy Cricket narrating, there was plenty of bright lights, fun sights displayed onto the castle, and a touching feeling of the holiday season. A side note – I know people want their kids to see, but it’s heartbreaking for a kid who has a spot where they can see, only to have a parent put their own kid on their shoulders right in front of them so now their view is blocked. I you want to ensure your kid can see please plan ahead and get a good spot that doesn’t need you to do that – it may be better for your kid, but blocks for so many others.

Don’t forget about the rides still open during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – because there were times there were hardly any lines, especially after the mad-dash of people left as soon as the fireworks were done! Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at a 10 minute wait? Yes, please! Thunder Mountain over and over? Don’t mind if I do.

And DO NOT miss the ~~Jungle~~ Jingle Cruise – I think I like this version better than the normal one the rest of the year!

If you’re a big shopper, don’t forget to check out the merchandise that’s only available to party-goers! Things like shirts, pins and more make for something more unique to take back home and remember your trip.

Yes, the tickets to the party do cost a pretty penny, but it’s a truly memorable experience that I really hope to share with my kiddos some year soon. Rides with shorter lines, entertainment, treats, fake snow falling, and a wonderful holiday spirit – what more could you ask for?!

DIY Christmas Countdown

November 20, 2017 by Danielle Leave a Comment

We love doing holiday countdowns in our house, and I’ll admit we do have a decent few. I love that we can not only make it a fun activity for the kids – and it helps avoid being asked ‘how many days until Christmas’ since they can just check one of the countdown calendars – but that it also works as cute, festive decor for the home, too! This fun DIY Christmas Countdown is super simple & quick to make, and looks AMAZING for the holidays!

It’s also great because it can use just a handful of items, and takes less than 10 minutes to put together. You can certainly mix up the colors and designs, making it into something other than a Christmas countdown, if you’d like! Remember our Disney Countdown that’s similar? Just like that, you can switch up the straw colors and designs, as well as the papers or frames, and add little accents as you see fit to really make this your own.

Supplies

Frame of choice – paint if desired
Paper Straws (I used red/white polka dot)
Paper Scraps (I did white & green)
Clothespin
Number Stickers or Pen/Marker
Hot Glue/Gun
Scissors

Directions

Cut your paper straws so they fit snuggly inside the frame. You CAN glue them into place, but then you can’t switch them out – I prefer just making them fit tight so I can remove them later to reuse the frame if desired.
Cut out your paper pieces – I like doing a little ‘banner’ type shape, with one color larger than the other to act as a border. Glue the smaller piece onto the larger one. Add your numbers, either with a sticker or write it neatly. The amount of numbers you’ll need will depend on the holiday – for our Christmas countdown I did up to 24 little banner pieces.
Hot glue the clothespin onto the frame – if you want to reuse it, careful to just glue onto the straws, not the frame or you won’t be able to take it off.

That’s it! Then start at 24 (or 23 or 25, depending on how you do your numbers and if you plan to go to Christmas or Christmas Eve), and each day switch it with the lower number. It’s great how much excitement it brings kids to do a Christmas countdown – probably helps them be more patient until the holiday, too!

If you want to do a larger frame, you can fit 2 clothespins and just do single digit numbers (like a 2 and a 3 to make 23), but I wanted this particular one to be smaller so I just stuck with the one number set. This does mean making more banner pieces, but I was ok with that for mine.

You could get a cute Santa hat of Elf shoes sticker or decal to put on the corners of your countdown if you want, or keep it more simple like this one. It’s up to you – it’s YOUR Christmas countdown, after all!

What’s YOUR favorite Halloween color?

Ingredients

Directions

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Supplies

Directions

What photo would YOU put in this fun DIY Valentine frame?

Supplies

Directions

What are you getting YOUR special someone for Valentine’s Day?

What nerdy/geeky gift would YOU like for Valentine’s Day?

To Customize Your Teacher Stocking

What other teacher survival kit items would YOU include?

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Magic Kingdom

Hollywood Studios

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Epcot

Animal Kingdom

What’s YOUR favorite holiday thing at Disney World?

Give the gift of superior sonic technology and even treat yourself to a great date night!

Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration

A Frozen Holiday Wish

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade

A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas!

VoicePlay

Club Tinsel

Holiday Wishes Fireworks

Supplies

Directions

What’s YOUR favorite thing about the Christmas season?