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Magical List of Disney Vacation Fun and Resources

September 13, 2018 by Kelly Dedeaux

Magical List of Disney Vacation Fun & Resources / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Lots of Disney tips and recaps

While we do most of our family trips during the school year (I know, shame, right? Oh well!) it’s getting to be vacation season for a lot of others. I decided to put together this Magical List of Disney Vacation Fun and Resources to help you out for your next family Disney trip!

Magical List of Disney Vacation Fun & Resources / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Lots of Disney tips and recaps

Contains affiliate links that keep this blog running at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure.

Planning

The Best Times to visit Disneyland

The Best Times to Visit Disneyland / Guest post by Get Away Today for Busy Mom's Helper

Visit Get Away Today to get the best deals, find out current Disney news & much more! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package

Walt Disney World Planning vs. Disneyland Planning

Walt Disney World Planning vs. Disneyland / by BusyMomsHelper.com / How planning a WDW vacation is different than Disneyland planning

Disneyland & California Adventure Printable Height Requirements

Free Printable Disneyland Height Requirements / by Busy Mom's Helper / Free Printable California Adventure Height Requirements

Our Disneyland Rental House

Our Disneyland Rental House / by Busy Mom's Helper

You can count on Michael’s VIPs for the best tour guide services, from planning, to at the parks & everywhere between!

Disneyland Countdown Banner

Printable Disney Banner / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Disney Countdown

Printable Ride Lists & Height Requirements for Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World Ride Lists including new Pandora land in Animal Kingdom / Free Printables

DIY Disney Countdown

DIY Disney Countdown / by Busy Mom's Helper #Disney #Vacation #Countdown

Fun Before You Go

‘Unofficial’ Disneyland Activity & Autograph Book

2016 'unofficial' Disneyland Activity & Autograph Book by BusyMomsHelper.com

20+ Disney Copycat Recipes

20+ Disney Copycat Recipes / by Busy Mom's Helper

Disney Themed Crafts & Activities

Fun Disney Round Up / by Busy Mom's Helper

Disney Top Five List Printables

Free Printable Disney Vacation Top Five Lists / by Busy Mom's Helper

More Disney Themed Crafts & Activities

Disney Vacation Countdown Series Kick-off / by Busy Mom's Helper #Disneyland #Roundup #Disneyland #Vacation

Disneyland Churros

Disneyland Churros by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Disney Themed Parties

Disney Themed Preschool Playdate Party

Easy Disney Kids Playdate Party / Walt Disney World Party / Disney themed playdate / by BusyMomsHelper.com #DisneyKids @DisneyMoms @DisneyWorld #spons

Frozen Themed Party

Fun Disney Round Up / by Busy Mom's Helper

Big Hero 6 Party

Fun Disney Themed Round Up / by Busy Mom's Helper

Recaps & Past Disney Experiences

Disney isn’t just for kids!

Disneyland just for Kids? by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Disneyland’s 60th Diamond Celebration

Disneyland's 60th Diamond Celebration / by BusyMomsHelper.com

Disneyland’s NEW Paint the Night Parade

Disney's New Paint the Night Parade is my favorite Disneyland parade yet! by BusyMomsHelper.com Our experience with Paint the Night Parade with kids was fantastic!

Disneyland 2014 Recap

Disneyland Vacation Recap / by Busy Mom's Helper #Disneyland #Vacation

Visit Get Away Today to get the best deals, find out current Disney news and much more! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package 😀

Filed Under: Disney, Kid Friendly, Parties, Printable, Star Wars, Superhero, Theme Parks Tagged With: Avengers, Disneyland, Marvel, Star Wars, Superhero, Walt Disney World

Our Favorite Rebel Star Wars Father’s Day Printable

May 22, 2019 by Kelly Dedeaux

Our Favorite Rebel Father's Day Printable Card or Star Wars Photo Frame / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great gift for your Star Wars Dad! Star Wars Rebels unite for this super fun printable Star Wars picture frame or Star Wars card

It’s our last day of Craft Lightning, filled with tons of easy Father’s Day crafts – so I’m sharing my favorite one: this ‘Our Favorite Rebel’ Star Wars Father’s Day Printable! Use it as a card or a picture frame for that perfect Star Wars Dad in your life. Customize it how you want, or let the kiddos have a great time with it.

Our Favorite Rebel Father's Day Printable Card or Star Wars Photo Frame / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great gift for your Star Wars Dad! Star Wars Rebels unite for this super fun printable Star Wars picture frame or Star Wars card

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge

I had so much fun designing this Father’s Day card, and the kiddos were big fans, too! I had to print off a picture of hubby and the kids with their lightsabers, then just taped it on. Another option is to let the kiddos draw a picture of Dad, their favorite rebel! You can’t really go wrong whichever way you choose 🙂

Our Favorite Rebel Father's Day Printable Card or Star Wars Photo Frame / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great gift for your Star Wars Dad! Star Wars Rebels unite for this super fun printable Star Wars picture frame or Star Wars card

I couldn’t resist including Yoda-Stitch and Darth Vader-Goofy in some pics. Y’all know how big into Star Wars our family is, right?! If you didn’t, you sure do now!

Our Favorite Rebel Father's Day Printable Card or Star Wars Photo Frame / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great gift for your Star Wars Dad! Star Wars Rebels unite for this super fun printable Star Wars picture frame or Star Wars card

This would go perfect with our Star Wars Father’s Day Gift Bottle Printable Set we shared, to give a little bit ‘more’. I thought about putting this in a picture frame, but then it may cover the fun edges – so I might just glue a little cardboard piece behind it as a ‘stand’ and have it BE it’s own photo frame!

Our Favorite Rebel Father's Day Printable Card or Star Wars Photo Frame / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great gift for your Star Wars Dad! Star Wars Rebels unite for this super fun printable Star Wars picture frame or Star Wars card

I know hubby would love to put it on his desk – or we could just put it above the fireplace for everyone to enjoy.

Our Favorite Rebel Father's Day Printable Card or Star Wars Photo Frame / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great gift for your Star Wars Dad! Star Wars Rebels unite for this super fun printable Star Wars picture frame or Star Wars card

Download the 8.5×11 printable here

Once you download the printable (I recommend cardstock), just cut it out and either draw your favorite rebel, or tape/glue on a picture. There’s a larger one that’s roughly 5×7 in size, then a slightly smaller one so you can choose which best fits your needs.

Our Favorite Rebel Father's Day Printable Card or Star Wars Photo Frame / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great gift for your Star Wars Dad! Star Wars Rebels unite for this super fun printable Star Wars picture frame or Star Wars card

Craft Lightning Father’s Day Features

I absolutely LOVE this Father’s Day Cricut Card from Crafting in the Rain!

Easy Father's Day Crafts / Craft Lightning / Father's Day Crafts in 15 minutes or Less

One Artsy Mama did an awesome job with this Father’s Day Superhero Art

Easy Father's Day Crafts / Craft Lightning / Father's Day Crafts in 15 minutes or Less

Create this Personalized Journal from Create and Babble for his special day

Easy Father's Day Crafts / Craft Lightning / Father's Day Crafts in 15 minutes or Less

The kids would love making this Shrink Film Father’s Day Key Chain from A Sweet Berry’s Blog

Easy Father's Day Crafts / Craft Lightning / Father's Day Crafts in 15 minutes or Less

I’m sure any Dad would love this Homemade Old Bay BBQ Sauce from Happy Go Lucky Blog

Easy Father's Day Crafts / Craft Lightning / Father's Day Crafts in 15 minutes or Less

I never knew this Stamped Leather Key Chain from Artistic Endeavors would be so easy

Easy Father's Day Crafts / Craft Lightning / Father's Day Crafts in 15 minutes or Less

This Father’s Day Dresser Catch-All for Dad from Stuff-n-Such would be super useful!

Easy Father's Day Crafts / Craft Lightning / Father's Day Crafts in 15 minutes or Less

How cute is this Printed Faux Leather Key Chain from Silly Pearl? Love it!

Easy Father's Day Crafts / Craft Lightning / Father's Day Crafts in 15 minutes or Less

Filed Under: Disney, Gift, Holidays, Kid Friendly, Printable, Star Wars Tagged With: card, Craft Lightning, Dad Gift, Photo Frame, Picture Frame, Star Wars Rebels

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables

May 22, 2019 by Kelly Dedeaux

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

It’s that time of year again – graduation! Whether you know someone in college, high school or even elementary school (even my preschooler has a graduation), these fun Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables would make the perfect gift for Star Wars fans. You can even choose the dark side or the light – or just do one side of each. It’s all about a balance in the force anyway, right?

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge

With May the Fourth coming up right around many graduations anyway, it’s the PERFECT thing to give! Now, I designed these for a 6-pack of glass Dr Pepper bottles, but it can fit most 6-pack glass bottle packs like this, you just may need to trim a little from the center.

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

Print them on 8.5×11 paper – I highly recommend using cardstock, but regular paper can work fine. It just isn’t as durable. On the ‘front’ pieces, cut as you see below so you can wrap those sides onto the part in the middle that sticks up. Ya, that sounds confusing – but just look at this picture to help and it’s really easy….

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

Download the Star Wars Graduation Sets here:

  • Bottle Wraps – with characters, with sayings, or just the backgrounds – 4 wraps per page
  • Congrats Handle & Front – dark side or light side
  • Sides – 2 per page

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

Once you’ve downloaded them, cut and use double-sided tape to secure them in the appropriate place on your bottle set. You can either leave the bottles with the drink in them, or wash out empty ones and fill with treats! You CAN do cash, but I’ll tell you it’s very hard to get out – which may be some fun for you to watch 🙂

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

Sayings for the bottle wraps include:

  • May the Force be With You
  • The Force is Strong with This One
  • Your training is now complete
  • Much to learn, you still have

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

You can whip this up in a jiffy for the perfect Star Wars graduation gift! Now the question remains – will you choose the dark side, or the light? Or maybe a little bit of both?

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

Star Wars Graduation Bottle Set Printables / by BusyMomsHelper.com / the perfect graduation gift for Star Wars fans!

More Star Wars Stuff…

Ultimate List of Star Wars Ideas for May the Fourth / Roundup by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great Star Wars Crafts / Yummy Star Wars Food / Star Wars Printables / May the Force Be With You!

Star Wars Puppets Printable / by BusyMomsHelper.com

Printable Star Wars Banner | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Filed Under: Disney, Gift, Kid Friendly, Parties, Printable, Star Wars

Printable Star Wars Mother’s Day Card

April 24, 2016 by Keri Houchin

Printable Star Wars Mother's Day card | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Mother’s Day is coming up and it’s time to show the geeky moms in your life what they mean to you. Moms are a lot like Jedi and it takes some serious skills to do all that they do. This printable Star Wars Mother’s Day card is the perfect way to says thanks.

Printable Star Wars Mother's Day card | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

If you think about it, Star Wars has a lot of awfully cool and strong moms.

Anakin’s mom, Shmi Skywalker, raised him by herself. She worked insanely hard to give him the best life she could, despite their circumstances. When the time came, she also made the difficult choice of letting him go because she knew that could give him a better life too.

Luke and Leia’s mom, Padme Amidala, might not have had the opportunity to show off her momming skills, but there’s no denying that she would’ve been a good mom. She fought for the rights of people everywhere and wasn’t one to back down even when the odds were against her.

Luke’s Aunt Beru raised him and taught him the value of hard work. He had to finish his breakfast and get his chores done before he could go hang out with his friends. That’s pretty much how it works in my house too.

We don’t know anything at all about Rey’s mom, but I believe that whatever happened to her, she must have made those choices to protect her daughter.

Printable Star Wars Mother's Day card | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

As a mom, I sometimes feel like I need Jedi skills to get everything on my to-do list done and still keep my younglings happy. I made this printable Star Wars Mother’s Day card to reflect that.

On the front, it says “The force is strong in my family.”

On the inside, “I got it from my mom. Happy Mother’s Day!”

Click to download: Star Wars Mother’s Day Card

Printable Star Wars Mother's Day card | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Print your card on regular 8-1/2”x11” card stock. There’s no need to trim it. Just fold the card in half with the pictures and text facing outward. Fold it in half again with the front and back covers on the outside.

I like to use a wooden ruler to smooth the edges so that’s they’re really crisp.

If you want to DiY a gift for a Jedi Mom to go with your Star Wars Mother’s Day card, you might like these projects:

Star Wars rebel bleach tee

Star Wars rebel bleach tee | One Mama's Daily Drama

Star Wars lightsaber skirt

DIY Lightsaber Skirt / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great Star Wars Skirt you can make yourself!

DiY mini Death Star

DiY mini Death Star | One Mama's Daily Drama

Filed Under: Disney, Printable, Star Wars Tagged With: card, free printable, mother's day, One Mama's Daily Drama, Star Wars

Star Wars Puppets Printable

December 28, 2020 by Kelly Dedeaux

Star Wars Puppets Printable / by BusyMomsHelper.com

In just a few more weeks it’ll be May the Fourth – and us Star Wars fans are super excited! Our family MAY go a little crazy, but it’s such a great time for us to do some extra family things around something we all enjoy together. I put together this fun Star Wars Puppets Printable for another thing the kids can play with – and sharing it with y’all!

Star Wars Puppets Printable / by BusyMomsHelper.com

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge

I figured it would be a neat Star Wars kids activity they can use their imaginations with, that takes hardly any effort on your part 🙂 We’ve done a few crafty-type things – such as this Star Wars banner, this neat FREE activity book and even clothes like our Rebels shirts and lightsaber skirt!

Star Wars Puppets Printable / by BusyMomsHelper.com

Contains affiliate links that support this blog at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure for more info.

Star Wars Puppets

Supplies

  • Puppets – download this sheet and print on 8.5×11 (I suggest using cardstock)
  • Craft sticks (popsicle sticks)
  • Scissors and Tape (or glue)

Star Wars Puppets Printable / by BusyMomsHelper.com

To Assemble

  1. Cut out the puppets and lightsabers.
  2. Use tape or glue to attach them to craft sticks.
  3. Let your imagination go and have fun playing with favorite Star Wars characters!

Star Wars Puppets Printable / by BusyMomsHelper.com

Whether your kids want to have fantastic lightsaber duels, secretly steal plans for the Death Star, or even take on the massive weapon of The First Order, they’ll love using these fun puppets in their playing!

Star Wars Puppets Printable / by BusyMomsHelper.com

If your child’s artistic, perhaps they could design and cut out some outfits to go along with these guys. How would Han Solo look in a robot body? Or try out Darth Vader in a dress meant for Princess/General Leia?

Star Wars Puppets Printable / by BusyMomsHelper.com

Just go crazy and let your inner Star Wars fan out! I want to make some with a few of our favorite characters from The Force Awakens – maybe I can pull that off before May the Fourth! Personally, I’m a big BB-8 fan, but also love Rey and her independent-yet-sweet-yet-kick-butt attitude 😀

Star Wars Puppets Printable / by BusyMomsHelper.com

More Star Wars Fun…

DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts

star-wars-banner4

Star Wars Printable Activity Book / by One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Filed Under: Disney, Kid Friendly, Movies, Parties, Printable, Star Wars Tagged With: Darth Vader, Light Saber, Lightsaber, Skywalker, Yoda

DIY Star Wars Lightsaber Skirt

December 28, 2020 by Kelly Dedeaux

DIY Lightsaber Skirt / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great Star Wars Skirt you can make yourself!

I’m sure by now y’all know how much my family LOVES Star Wars – from the original movies, to Clone Wars and Rebels series, and especially the new ones – they’re fantastic! So, naturally, we also really love doing crafts and projects that go along with it, such as this fun DIY Lightsaber Skirt. It’s actually really easy to create, plus you can customize it how you like!

Contains affiliate links that support this blog at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure for more info.

I figured it was only appropriate to wear it along with my DIY Star Wars Rebels shirt, and hubby requested I get at least some pics with my lightsaber – we all made our own during our last visit to Disneyland and are thrilled with any excuse to get them out.

Supplies

  • Skirt of choice – prewashed
  • Puffy fabric paints – lightsaber colors, plus black or dark grey for the hilt
  • Fabric spray paint – to add that ‘glow’ look
  • Scrap paper (large piece)

DIY Lightsaber Skirt / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great Star Wars Skirt you can make yourself!

Note: if your fabric is thin, the paints may leak through – you can stick a piece of cardboard underneath  to save your surface.

Directions

  1. Lay out your skirt flat. Use your black/grey puffy fabric paint and draw an outline of hilts all around the edges of the skirt. It’s mostly some lines – you can look at my example. DIY Lightsaber Skirt / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great Star Wars Skirt you can make yourself!
  2. Carefully use the colored puffy paints to do a lightsaber above each hilt all around the skirt.  Take a scrap piece of paper, with a rough lightsaber shape cut out in it, and hold it a few inches or so above each lightsaber – then spray the fabric spray paint. This helps it not have ‘sharp’ edges, as it would if you held it close. DIY Lightsaber Skirt / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great Star Wars Skirt you can make yourself!
  3. If you WANT, randomly spray black and/or yellow fabric spray paint all over the skirt. I did for a more ‘galaxy’ look so it had more dimension/coloring to it.
  4. Allow everything to dry, then show it off!

DIY Lightsaber Skirt / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Great Star Wars Skirt you can make yourself!

I stuck to the ‘main’ lightsaber colors of green, blue, red – and had to add Mace Windu’s purple, just like the one I made! I was thrilled with how the lightsaber skirt turned out, and plan to try one on a black skirt, next! Wouldn’t that look so neat with a black background, colorful lightsabers, and a spattering of yellow/white for stars and galaxies? Can’t wait to see how that one works out!

It’d be great to wear on your next Disney trip, so head over to Get Away Today and book yours now – use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your package. Don’t forget your Activity & Autograph Book! Then whip up this skirt for some extra Star Wars fun!

Other Star Wars fun….

Star Wars Printable Activity Book / by One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Star Wars Half Marathon by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Printable Star Wars Banner | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Filed Under: Disney, Gift, Kid Friendly, Star Wars, Style Tagged With: Fabric paint, Puffy Paint

Printable Star Wars Banner {full alphabet + icons}

May 22, 2019 by Keri Houchin

Perfect for celebrating Star Wars Day or a Jedi birthday party, this printable Star Wars banner includes all 26 letters of the alphabet, plus four cute character icons.

Printable Star Wars Banner | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge

Star Wars is super popular right now and it isn’t going away anytime soon. We might be between movies, but May the fourth is always a big geeky celebration. It originated with a pun (May the fourth be with you) but now every year geeks worldwide celebrate.

In my house, I usually make something fun for supper that I can rename to pretend it’s from Star Wars. We watch one of the films as a family and maybe let the kids stay up a bit past bedtime.

Since The Force Awakens came out, my family has been in love with the new little droid BB-8. He’s pretty cute, so I had to include him in this printable.

Printable Star Wars Banner

Decorate for a party or use this banner as a fun photo backdrop.

I made the banner to simply say “Star Wars” and include four different character icons. If you want to say something else, there is also an extra set that includes the whole alphabet. That set also has an exclamation point and a blank square, just in case.

Click to download: Star Wars Banner with character icons OR full Star Wars alphabet

Printable Star Wars Banner

The characters included are Darth Vader, Boba Fett, R2D2, and BB-8. I wanted an even mix of bad guys and good guys. I guess so there would be balance…?

I recommend printing the banner pages on regular 8-1/2”x11” card stock. Cut out each of the flag pieces on the black lines and then use a single-hole punch to make holes in the top two corners of each flag.

Use ribbon or string to run through the holes and hang up the banner. Mine is two pieces that are each about 4 feet long. A single ribbon should work too, but you might need to use more tape.

I just stuck mine up with Scotch tape. It’s nice and light, plus I can move it around without messing up the walls.

Printable Star Wars Banner

For the perfect Star Wars party, you might also need these:

Star Wars Cupcakes + Printable Cupcake Toppers {that match this banner!}

Star Wars Cupcakes @ One Mama's Daily Drama

Star Wars Activity Book

Star Wars Printable Activity Book / by One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

DiY Star Wars Rebel Tee

Star Wars Rebel Bleach Tee

Filed Under: Disney, Printable, Star Wars Tagged With: free printable, One Mama's Daily Drama, party, Star Wars

Star Wars Half Marathon

September 13, 2018 by Nikki Cole

Star Wars Half Marathon by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Star Wars is already amazing; running a Star Wars themed Half Marathon through Disneyland? EPIC!

Star Wars Half Marathon by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Contains affiliate links that support this blog at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure policy for more info.

Now I know what you’re thinking ‘there’s no way I could run a half marathon’, well good news there’s a simple 10k or even a 5k you can do as well!  Disney has several fun events throughout the year and some of them are different themed runs that take place through the park.  I got the great opportunity to run the Disneyland Star Wars Half Marathon this year with my husband.

So yes running is hard and no I am not a huge runner. I have had ACL replacement surgery, torn my MCL, and several other injuries to my knees so no I am not a huge runner because it is hard and it gets boring.  I never thought I would run a half marathon because of my injuries and because I don’t enjoy just plain running, but these events are way exciting and it’s satisfying to be able to say I have ran three now.

I have run three half marathons now and every single one of them was hard yes but the amazing memories and the accomplishment from finishing them is amazing. This last one was my absolute favorite, not only did I get another half marathon under my belt, but I got to run with characters in Disneyland and enjoy the celebration of the new Star Wars movie.

Star Wars Half Marathon by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

If you ever get a chance run in a Disney race, they are so fun and with all the excitement going on you won’t realize how tired you are, you will just know how much fun you are having. Now with that said it does take some training.  No you don’t have to go run every day.  My training consisted of elliptical, biking, running, strength training, and stretching.  Like I said earlier, I have bad knees and continuous running is not recommended at all for them.  I am not giving up my races so therefore when I am not racing I need to take care of my knees, so I don’t run hardly at all in training.  I train on the elliptical to train my lungs and get really good cardio.  I ride a stationary bike to help stretch out my legs and get a little bit of cardio and strength in.  No I do not do squats or lunges, if you have bad knees these can cause damage if repetitively done.  I do however do leg curls, leg raises (backward and forward), inner outer leg lift/press, and calf raises.  I also do walk to help train my feet to be able to stand for that long on concrete without bruising or blistering.  So I don’t run all the time; I will run about 1 to 3 times a month but just 2 to 3 miles, not very far at all.

Some tips if you’re thinking of a Disney run:

  1. Plan early! Look up upcoming events (where, when) and mark the registration date. You will need to sign up usually within an hour if you want something other than the half marathon, the half usually fills up within a couple days. So planning is critical otherwise it books up, so look ahead and plan.
  2. Train! Don’t expect it to be really easy, it’s not super hard either but how great your trip is will be determined greatly by the amount of training you do before. Of course you’ll want to go to the park after so if you don’t train you will be so sore and tired you won’t get to enjoy your trip.
  3. Find a buddy! Mine was my amazing husband who pushes me along and supports me the whole way. We talk through the whole thing and he makes the run so much easier knowing I have that help and support.
  4. Enjoy! Take in everything that’s going on! Enjoy your run, don’t just focus on it being a race focus on having a great time and doing something amazing.

Star Wars Half Marathon by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Think it will still be way too boring for you? What if I said there were storm troopers, Darth Vadors, and several other characters and decorations from the show throughout the whole race you could take pictures with?  We had tons of characters from the movie cheering us on the whole way, along with bands playing music to get us pumped.  There were plenty of stops with bathrooms, drinks, and snacks to help us get through it as well.

No I did not get a record time with this half, but it was way exciting and memorable. After the race I also got to spend time in the park which is always an adventure.  One of my favorite parts through the race was going through this kind of tunnel and through the tunnel they played Darth Vador’s voice of him breathing and saying ‘come to the dark side’, it was way cool.  Another part I really liked was being able to not only run through the park but go through behind the scenes areas.  And of course I loved having hundreds of people cheering me on.  Like dressing up?  Perfect, pick your favorite theme and dress up!  Don’t go too overboard because you still have to run.  Through my race I saw Darth Vadors, storm troopers, Leia’s, and all sorts of characters from star wars.  If you like running or not, but want to get in shape and have a memorable vacation, sign up for one of these runs and I promise you will not regret it, even though I was sore after, the memories from this trip are amazing and are going to stay with me forever.

Star Wars Half Marathon by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Star Wars Half Marathon by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Other fun from Disneyland…

Our Disneyland Rental House / by Busy Mom's Helper

Disneyland just for Kids? by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Free Printable Disneyland Height Requirements / by Busy Mom's Helper / Free Printable California Adventure Height Requirements

2016 Unofficial Disneyland Activity & Autograph book by BusyMomsHelper / shared on Carrie Elle Blog

Disneyland Vacation Recap / by Busy Mom's Helper #Disneyland #Vacation

Watch for the next Disney Half Marathon, and book your Disneyland vacation today! Use promo code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package!

Filed Under: Disney, Health & Fitness, Star Wars, Theme Parks Tagged With: Disney, fitness, fun, health, running, Star Wars, travel, vacation

What’s coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016?

March 21, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

Guys, I can’t even BEGIN to tell you how excited I am for all the amazing movies that will be hitting theaters this year! For those that are also wondering which 2016 Disney movies to look forward to, here’s the line-up….from hilarious comedies to dramas, superheros and giants!

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

Click on each picture to see the trailer (if available yet) for each of these – there’s some FABULOUS ones!

The Finest Hours  (Walt Disney Studios)

January 29, 2016 #TheFinestHours – see my review here

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

 Zootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

March 4, 2016 #Zootopia – see my review here

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

The Jungle Book (Walt Disney Studios)

April 15, 2016 #JungleBook

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

Captain America: Civil War (Marvel)

May 6, 2016 #CaptainAmericaCivilWar

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

Alice Through the Looking Glass (Walt Disney Studios)

May 27, 2016 #DisneyAlice

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

Finding Dory (Disney / Pixar)

June 17, 2016 #FindingDory

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

 The BFG (Walt Disney Studios)

July 1, 2016 #TheBFG

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

 Pete’s Dragon (Walt Disney Studios)

August 12, 2016 #PetesDragon (no trailer yet)

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

Queen of Katwe (Walt Disney Studios)

Fall 2016 #QueenOfKatwe (no trailer yet)

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

Doctor Strange (Marvel)

November 4, 2016 #DoctorStrange (no trailer yet)

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

Moana (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

November 23, 2016 #Moana

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Lucasfilm)

December 16, 2016 #RogueOne (no trailer yet)

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

The Light Between Oceans (DreamWorks Pictures)

TBD 2016 #TheLightBetweenOceans (no trailer yet)

What's coming from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in 2016? Here's the line-up so you can get excited from 2016 Disney movies coming out this year! www.BusyMomsHelper.com

I’ll update with trailers as they become available, so make sure to check back!

Zootopia pushes beyond Stereotypes / by BusyMomsHelper.com / more from my interview with directors Rich Moore and Byron Howard

MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron Printables / by Busy Mom's Helper #AvengersUnite #ad

Filed Under: Disney, Star Wars, Superhero Tagged With: Disney movies, Movies, Theater

My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens

January 4, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Guys, I love Star Wars. My hubby loves Star Wars and my kids are eagerly following suite. We’re fans at the core! As such, here are My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens / by BusyMomsHelper / Star Wars Episode VII

First of all, let me tell you WHY I have such a love for Star Wars. In a nutshell, it was my childhood! Growing up, Sunday afternoons, when my dad wasn’t at the station, were spent relaxing on our couch watching our favorite shows. Things like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Indiana Jones were frequent repeats, but none more so than Star Wars. So when I say my enjoyment of the whole Star Wars universe, products, shows and stories goes deep, it’s no exaggeration. Needless to say we’ve been counting down to Episode VII hitting theaters since it was announced!

Note: there may be spoilers in here, as I feel there’s been plenty of time for most people to either have seen it, or read about it anyway.

#1: BB-8

My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens / by BusyMomsHelper / Star Wars Episode VII

Guys, I LOVE this droid! I learned from this interview that the first idea of making BB-8 what he is came from JJ Abrams himself! The way he rolls around, the emotion shown from his half-sphere top, and just the spunky personality coming from the little guy really makes you fall in love with him. One of my twins, Iron Man, is head-over-heels with BB-8 and says he’s going to build himself one when he’s older because he’s ‘awesome and orange’!

#2: Strong Female Characters

My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens / by BusyMomsHelper / Star Wars Episode VII

First of all, you’ve got GENERAL Leia Organa (played by Carrie Fisher). I’ve ALWAYS loved her – the character AND the actor! In the originals, she wasn’t some damsel in distress – yes, they rescued her, but who was it that was shooting more of the storm troopers and fighting right along the ‘big boys’ to escape? She was my hero! Now she’s back, and even more graceful and admirable than ever. What a strong woman to go from a princess up to a General – that’s leadership! I also notice that in the control room, there’s not may women besides Leia taking the lead, working right along the guys to save the universe. What a great role model!

My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens / by BusyMomsHelper / Star Wars Episode VII

Now to the newcomer Rey, played by actor Daisy Ridley. If I thought Leia was a great woman for my daughter to look up to, then this feisty, independent girl from the desert MUST be included, as well! Being on her own for however long, surviving in such a harsh world, and braving amazing feats (Would YOU be hanging by a rope super high in the air to grab parts from a crashed Star Destroyer? Me either!) she sure has proven her determination. When Finn runs to rescue her from a fight, only to watch as she kicks butt all by herself, the look on his impressed face is priceless! And goodness, she doesn’t need him holding her hand! LOL

Another thing I absolutely LOVE about Rey is that, despite being independent and strong, plus an excellent fighter, she’s also soft and kind hearted. She rescues BB-8, won’t sell him despite the hunger she must suffer, and yearns for the family that’s still a mystery. I could go on and on about her, but just watch the movie and you’ll see 🙂

#3: The Affects

My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens / by BusyMomsHelper / Star Wars Episode VII

I’ve watched this in 3D and 2D, and I can tell you that the 3D is completely worth it! So natural-looking and beautiful, it really brings you into that world. They did amazing with the visuals – so many scenes that just capture your eyes and soul! I’ve always been a fan of the music, and Episode VII did NOT disappoint! One of my favorites is during the scene above when the weapon is revealed – talk about emotional!

My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens / by BusyMomsHelper / Star Wars Episode VII

The battle and action scenes were MUCH better done than in Episodes 1-3, in my opinion. I think in those it was a bit TOO much, too unreal. These were totally believable and got your heart racing as if you were right there with them.

My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens / by BusyMomsHelper / Star Wars Episode VII

Along with the visuals and music, I was so impressed with how they tied things together – to show you what I mean, let’s look at this example above of Kylo Ren. He’s a hot mess, powerful but not in control of his anger at all! He has a few hissy fits – such as the hilarious part where 2 storm troopers slowly back away as Ren trashes a room with his saber. His LIGHTSABER reflects his lack of control – it’s not completely contained, spatters a bit along the edges like it’s barely holding itself together. Such a perfect combination and reflection of Ren!

#4: The Mysteries

My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens / by BusyMomsHelper / Star Wars Episode VII

I’ve heard many people complaining that too much was left unanswered – well, there’s 2 more movies coming out, so of course they need to leave you wondering! As much as I’m dying to know about some things, I’m eager to see how it all gets shown in the coming movies. Is Rey the daughter of Luke, or perhaps she’s Kylo Ren’s sister? Who was the old man at the beginning of the movie giving Po the map, saying he needs to make up for the past? These and more have kept my Hubby and I up late discussing the possibilities, and curious for the answers. So to me, I love the mystery….even though I look forward to the answer, too!

#5: Harrison Ford AKA: Han Solo

My 5 Favorite Things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens / by BusyMomsHelper / Star Wars Episode VII

Confession Time: I have a crush on Harrison Ford – always have, since his films were such a big part of my childhood! He’s such a gifted actor, as well as an all-around good human being. When he walked into the scene for the first time in this movie, I couldn’t help but squeal (yes, I’m sure I got many weird looks from other theater guests, but I really don’t care)! The humor Han Solo brings, without necessarily trying, just adds a whole other dimension to the films. This movie brought all sorts of new emotional turmoil into his life, trying to save his son, which was a new side to the Solo I remember – but I love him even more because of it!

If you haven’t seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens yet, you’ve GOT to go. Now – like RIGHT NOW! In 3D, because remember – it’s so worth it!

Enjoy, and May the Force Be With You!

Filed Under: Disney, Star Wars Tagged With: Movies, Review, Theater

DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts

December 28, 2020 by Kelly Dedeaux

DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts

As most of you know, our family LOVES Star Wars. Like, borderline obsession type of love! If you’re like us and want to display your passion for Star Wars proudly, then whip up these super easy DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts!

DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts

Contains affiliate links that support this blog at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure for more info.

We’re quite proud of our Star Wars love – we’ve seen the movies (including The Force Awakens TWICE, so far), have more Star Wars Lego sets than we really need (but boy they’re fun!) and are already saving up for a Disney vacation for when Star Wars Land opens! Woot woot! We knew we wanted some fun shirts to wear at our last Disneyland trip in October, so I whipped up these shirts featuring our favorite characters from the Star Wars Rebels series!

DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts

Forgive the weird photo – it was super bright, early in the morning and we were in a hurry to get to the parks!

Supplies

  • Heat Transfer Fabric Paper
  • Shirts of choice – prewashed
  • Iron
  • Towel
  • Wax paper
  • Image of Choice
    • You can nab our pdfs here: Ezra, Hera, Sabine, Chopper, Zeb, and Kanan

DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts

Note: I had darker shirts, which require a different transfer type than light shirts. Follow the directions on whatever type YOU buy – this is just what I did with the type I used.

Directions

  1. Print off your images and cut them out exactly as you want them. DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts
  2. Over a towel and heat-friendly surface, iron out the shirt as smoothly as possible. DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts
  3. Peel the back off the image (for the type we used – yours may be different). DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts
  4. Carefully place onto the desired spot on the shirt. Cover with wax paper (again, your type may differ) and iron as the package directs. Carefully check that the entire image stuck (edges especially), then remove and let cool. DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts

That’s it! If you think it sounds difficult, don’t worry – it really isn’t hard at all!

DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts

The kids are STILL enjoying them today, so the transfer lasts for quite awhile. From experience, the dark transfer stuff doesn’t fade as much as a light, which is one reason I chose it.

DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts

For our Family Forward Universal Studios trip in September, we even did a few with Transformers: Rescue Bots! The boys wanted to wear them everyday, of course – so it was nice having another shirt that they would pick as soon as it was out of the laundry!

DIY Star Wars Rebels Shirts / by BusyMomsHelper.com / Heat Transfer Shirts / Iron Transfer Shirts

Book your next Disney or Universal vacation with Get Away Today for the best prices – use Promo Code BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package!

Other Star Wars fun…

Star Wars Half Marathon by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Star Wars Printable Activity Book / by One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Filed Under: Disney, Kid Friendly, Printable, Star Wars

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Activity Book

January 4, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Activity Book Free Printables / by Busy Mom's Helper

Guys, I can’t even begin to describe my excitement for Star Wars coming out this month – we’ve been counting down for so long, and I swear it’s more exciting than Christmas morning! To have a little fun while we’re all going crazy waiting, here’s a super fun Star Wars: The Force Awakens Activity Book you can print out!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Activity Book Free Printables / by Busy Mom's Helper

You’ve got pages of coloring sheets of favorite characters, a Millennium Falcon maze, door hangers, bookmarks, games and more! My kiddos are having a blast – and so am I, to be honest!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Activity Book Free Printables / by Busy Mom's Helper

Download the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Activity Book

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Activity Book Free Printables / by Busy Mom's Helper

Hubby’s work Christmas party is just 2 days before Star Wars hits theaters on December 18th….and I told him flat-out that if I get invited to an early showing for the movie, I’m going with or without him! He just grinned and said ‘Star Wars trumps any work party’. I married the right man 😀

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Activity Book Free Printables / by Busy Mom's Helper

Filed Under: Disney, Kid Friendly, Printable, Star Wars Tagged With: Movie Night, Movies

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The Most Helpful Printables EVER for busy families! Nab just a mini set of your favorites, or get the whole pack! Practically every printable a busy family could use - over 70 pages PLUS two BONUS items! Help get organized with categories like: Money, Scheduling/Time Management, Kitchen/Meal Planning, Security & Home Management, as well as Trip Planning! #printables #busymom #busyparents #busyfamily #busyfamilies #printableset #parenting #moms #money #homemanagement #timemanagement
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