Family fun, food, recipes, crafts, and free printables
Hey y'all, I'm Danielle - the crazy behind this blog, where I share my creative life adventures as I survive life as a momma of 5 superheroes & wife to my best friend & fellow nerd. Life doesn't have to be perfect to be GREAT! You can reach me at danielle (at) busymomshelper.com - ABOUT -Every year, our kiddos change – not only in height or attitude, but also their interests. This is a fun way to keep track of their changes from year to year, and what better time than the changing from 2016 to 2017?! These fun Free Printable Superhero Kids Year in Review sheets have plenty of space to fill things in. Then hang it on the wall, scrapbook it, or just put in a binder to look back on next year.
I attended a free screening, but as always all opinions are mine alone. #DoctorStrange
As avid Marvel fans, we’ve been counting down the days until the newest film hits theaters. We were already super excited for Doctor Stephen Strange to make an appearance, and after seeing a 15 minute ‘sneak peak’ a few weeks ago we could hardly contain our eagerness! They sure didn’t disappoint – go see for yourself this week, and prepare for stunning visuals, grip-your-seat excitement, extreme danger & laugh-out-loud humor in Marvel’s Doctor Strange!
We knew it would be amazing, if for no other reasons THE CAST is full of talented individuals who were bound to pull us into this story of Doctor Stephen Strange – a famous neurosurgeon who’s a bit too full of himself, as he never fails.
After a horrible car accident (don’t drive while distracting, texting or anything of the sort guys!!!), his hands are shaky and he can no longer perform his miracles in the OR. After 7 painful and expensive surgeries, and pushing away the one person who really cares about him, he takes one last chance by meeting ‘The Ancient One’ – who isn’t what Strange was expecting!
After he realizes this isn’t just a bunch of ‘gift shop’ crap teachings, he puts his incredible mind into his studies to become a sorcerer. Of course, his thirst for knowledge, fear of failure, and downright ridiculous ego threaten to be his undoing!
And guys – THE CLOAK!!! This fantastic relic – the Cloak of Levitation – has quite the personality, and does more than a few hilarious tricks to assist his new friend Doctor Strange.
But will his relics, knowledge and natural gift for magic be enough to stop the awful fate The Ancient One’s old student, Kaecilius, has planned for Earth?
You’ll have to see for yourself if Strange can overcome his ego, learn and accept that it isn’t about him, and risk everything to protect the world from an eternity of torture.
I was blown away by the visual affects all through the film – from the spells and fight scenes, to the warping of reality and more!
Doctor Strange hits theaters November 4th, 2016 – so hurry, grab your tickets, and be ready for the next film from Marvel Studios! And don’t forget to stay ALL THE WAY through the credits guys!
I received a luggage piece to assist with this post. All opinions are mine alone.
Whether you’re running errands, need a little quiet time at home, have a road trip or family vacation – this printable Superhero Activity Booklet is fantastic fun for any hero lover!
Remember a couple days ago when I shared the fun Superhero Luggage Tags? I told you I’d also be sharing a booklet for some travel (or just around the house) activities to keep the kiddos happy. It’s super simple, too – just print it on an 8.5×11 sheet, then fold it up into a booklet!
There’s a maze, crossword (with plenty of Avenger names and words to find!), and they get to design their own superhero!
My kiddos said I should’ve made it BIGGER to fit into my new Hulk suitcase – and that I should get more of the Hulk suitcase to go with each character in the book! I laughed and told them to save up to get it for themselves for our next family trip 🙂 But they do have a point – it IS a bit small compared to my giant suitcase!
I received a luggage piece free to assist with this post. All opinions are mine alone. #PackMoreFun
My inner nerd is absolutely THRILLED this week guys – and you get to share in the fun! These Marvel Superhero Luggage Tags are perfect for that upcoming vacation, or you can just use them for any superhero tag project. Gotta love flexibility, right?
Check out that suitcase! It was so hard to pick just one from the fantastic Marvel collection at American Tourister. I’m definitely Team Cap, so was leaning towards getting that one until I saw this Hulk suitcase calling my name. I mean – I love purple, for one, and also how could I resist a giant smashing fist?! My youngest, who’s chosen superhero is Hulk, was super excited – especially since it was almost as big as him! The twin in the top pic had to get his moment with the Hulk luggage, too.
Before we get to our awesome Superhero Tags, I couldn’t resist showing you a little more…..it expands, because of course Hulk gets bigger as he gets more angry (just as I get more angry when I pack too much!), the outside is hard, but there’s a little padding under the inside lining – which is covered with MARVEL, by the way. And THE HANDLE SAYS HULK! Needless to say, I’m in love with this suitcase!
For the tags, I wanted to offer plenty of variety – of heroes and of boy or girl. This way practically everyone can be happy! You can either match it to your own Marvel Suitcase, or just add some HERO to your other luggage!
Because you may need a larger tag for some occasions, but smaller for others, I also did a variety of sizes – a Large, Small and Mini. Here’s a standard sharpie marker for comparison…
Large on the left side, small on the top right, then mini the bottom right. I’ll probably utilize the larger tags more often – but the mini’s are so stinkin’ adorable! Just hole-punch the top, write your name or whatever info you WANT on there on the back (or front, you’re choice) then laminate, to make it extra sturdy and reusable.
These print on 8.5×11 sized paper – I recommend cardstock. Click on the links you want to download, then print.
Large Superhero Luggage Tags – Page 1, Page 2, Page 3
Small Superhero Luggage Tags – Page 1, Page 2 (also includes all Mini tags)
I’m loving how the She-Hulk tags look with my new suitcase, and can’t wait to take it on a work trip I have next week – perfect time to show it off! And guess what? Since I know not everyone uses luggage tags, or only does when you’re flying, I also created this fun Superhero Road Trip printable booklet for y’all!
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!
Contains affiliate links that keep this blog running at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure.
The Best Times to visit Disneyland
Walt Disney World Planning vs. Disneyland Planning
Disneyland & California Adventure Printable Height Requirements
Printable Ride Lists & Height Requirements for Walt Disney World
‘Unofficial’ Disneyland Activity & Autograph Book
Disney Themed Crafts & Activities
Disney Top Five List Printables
More Disney Themed Crafts & Activities
Disney Themed Preschool Playdate Party
Disneyland’s 60th Diamond Celebration
Disneyland’s NEW Paint the Night Parade
Hubby and I have been stalking watching the list for upcoming Marvel movies for a long while, and Captain America: Civil War is one we’ve been biting our nails while anxiously waiting! Every time a trailer would come out, we’d watch it several times in a row, trying to find clues to the plot and twists. But as much as I expected it to be an amazing movie, and hubby reading many of the comic books, Captain America: Civil War is NOT What I Expected….it’s even better, and totally shocking!
Yes, despite the fact that I could hardly sleep the night before we got to see this in theaters for an early screening because I was excited and expected it to be off-the-charts amazing – it STILL surprised me and exceeded all my expectations! First – the cast!
Yes, Spider-man is in this film, as we all knew, but there was more to him than I thought they’d put in. And the dynamics between him and Iron Man are hilarious!
Because of posters and trailers, we also knew they would pull Antman in for some, but wait ’till you see the ‘little’ trick up his sleeve! The whole theater clapped, it was great.
You get to see Scarlet Witch explore more of her incredible powers – ones she’s still learning to control, and scare her.
Vision is quite a character, and they couldn’t have gotten a better actor to play the part. You get to see more into his own insecurities – yes, he has them!
Ladies kick some major butt in this film – yay! You’ve got such strong roles like Scarlet Witch, Black Widow and even Agent Carter. These women are amazing, through and through.
I was nervous that throwing Black Panther in without warning would leave a lot of questions, but I feel they did an excellent job of giving just enough background, naturally, that it made perfect sense. Although it will be exciting to learn more when his own movie comes out! And his outfit – brilliant!
This whole movie is putting friends against friends, so of course there’s plenty of emotion that shows in their different relationships. Fear, anger, betrayal, misunderstanding….and plenty of vengeance to go around!
Second – the twist! You go through most of the film ‘knowing’ the overall plot and what the final battle will be. YOU HAVE NO IDEA!!! Until about the last 20-45 minutes, you don’t realize what’s really going on behind the scenes, and it will pull at your heartstrings and test your loyalties to #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan
Third – the humor! Despite this being such an intense, emotionally thrilling and expectantly violent film, I was so relieved they kept in the great humor that makes us love Marvel even more. Plenty of witty comments, funny expressions, and humorous exchanges to help you breathe in between the grip-your-seats scenes.
Fourth – the car scene! I don’t want to give anything away, but my absolute favorite moment is Falcon and Bucky in the car. Trust me, you’ll know it when you see it – and probably laugh out as loudly as I did!
I was already as excited for the upcoming Marvel films as a little kids is for Christmas, but now it’s even MORE because there’s so much you wonder, and so much we all love!
Whenever our family goes on a Disney vacation, we plan matching shirts for most of the days – this makes it not only easier to spot our group, but looks neat in photos AND is super fun! The kids love the exciting things we come up with, but the absolute favorite from our trip last year was our How To Fist Bump Shirts. Even random people all over the park loved them and kept asking where they could get them. Good news – now you can order them, but for a very limited time!
I love these shirts and how adorable they are – showing How to Fist Bump in 4 easy steps!
#1: Hand Slap
#2: Reverse Hand Slap
#3: Fist Bump
#4: Explosion (aka: Bah La La La La)
The Mens and Junior shirts come in a soft fabric (Juniors is a nice fitted top) with dark grey speckles all over the shirt. They were so comfy, and breathed easily so we didn’t get all hot, sweaty and yucky in them. YAY! The kids shirts are the standard child fit type shirt, not fitted and no speckles.
We’d be in line for rides, and even the attendants would have to fist bump us – as well as a few characters! The Disney photographers also couldn’t resist getting photos of us ‘instructing’ how to do a proper fist bump. Loved it – and the kids felt extra special for the bonus attention!
We’re only accepting orders until Tuesday, May 24th – so hurry fast! Email us at danielle@busymomshelper.com with the style (mens, juniors, kids), sizes, quantity and shipping address – continental United States only. We will then email you back an invoice via Paypal for you to make payment. You do NOT have to have a Paypal account to do this. Payments must be received before printing.
Kids = $15 shipped
Juniors/Mens = $25 shipped
We are not responsible for incomplete orders (failure to pay beforehand = no shirt printed). We will ship to the address you email us – if you send it to us incorrectly, we are not responsible for items not arriving to the correct place.
Because this is a limited print, there are no refunds EXCEPT in the event the shirt has flaws (i.e. mistakes in the images, seems of shirt coming loose when it arrives to you). Once worn, there are absolutely no refunds. Please see our sizing guide below to select your correct size, as we are unable to do refunds for the wrong size (unless, of course, we send you a size different than you ordered – then we would certainly correct that).
Kids: XS-XL
Juniors: XS-XL
Mens: XS-XL
Kids = $15 shipped
Juniors/Mens = $25 shipped
(continental U.S. only)
Email us at danielle@busymomshelper.com with the following:
We will email you back an invoice via Paypal (you don’t have to have an account) for you to pay.
Reminder: Your order isn’t complete until we’ve received payment!
Less than a month now and Captain America: Civil War will hit theaters, much to the delight of many, especially us borderline-crazy-obsessed-fans. I have to admit that, while I’ve been jumping-in-my-seat excited for the previous Marvel films, this is the one I’ve also been the most NERVOUS about. Why, you may ask? Because I have absolutely no clue which direction it will take, and it’s strange to think about our favorite heroes on opposite sides. Here’s a few of my thoughts as we anxiously await Captain America: Civil War.
All photos of Captain America: Civil War used in this post are courtesy of Disney/Marvel.
Just remember, this is all MY OWN thoughts and guesses – don’t take it as scripture!
When the very first trailer came out, I was thinking they were going to take the approach of the Civil War starting mainly because of Bucky. Cap wants to protect his best friend, Iron Man sees him as someone who needs to be taken into custody, or taken out to help save more lives because he’s a danger.
But with the newer trailers out, it’s more clear that it’s the ‘superhero registration’ type situation that’s causing a rift between our heroes. Iron Man believes they need to be held accountable and controlled to a point, while Cap’s belief is that the safest hands are ‘our own’ and he can’t just ignore a situation because of the authorities putting boundaries.
Either way, our Avengers are having to choose sides, putting one against the other. Even the strongest friendships may be tested – like Black Widow and Hawkeye…
This is going to be an intense movie, of course, but from the trailers I think we can safely assume there will still be plenty of quotable, hilarious moments that will have us laughing out loud. Even in Age of Ultron, we were having a happy ol’ time the whole movie, even when the action got extreme. That’s one (of many) things I love about Marvel – they can put you on an emotional roller coaster, make you afraid, worried, excited, feeling triumphant, gripping your seat, crying and laughing all at the same time!
While there’d been talk for quite awhile on what new characters will be making their appearances in Civil War, the trailers have shown us we can at least expect Black Panther, as well as Spiderman. I have no idea what level of involvement each of them will have, but even a few minutes is cause for excitement!
While we all pretty much know Spiderman’s backstory, there’s a lot who don’t know about Black Panther. Luckily he has his own movie coming out in 2018, so eventually we’ll get his whole story. Hopefully in Civil War they give enough that he’s not an ENTIRE mystery 🙂
Guys, it’s Marvel, it’s the Avengers, and it’s got an incredibly talented group of directors, actors and teams working on it. I have no doubt that it’s going to be as fantastic as Age of Ultron and the other films we all love. As far as I can expect, it will NOT disappoint!
It was last year when Six Flags Over Texas’ Justice League: Battle for Metropolis ride opened, but we didn’t make it over to try it out until last week. I know, I’m a slacker! I’d heard amazing things about it and was really excited – but it wasn’t at all what I thought. Six Flags Justice League Ride was even BETTER than I’d hoped, and probably a new favorite at the park!
Here’s what their media sheet said about the ride: “JUSTICE LEAGUE: Battle For Metropolis is one of the most anticipated rides of the year, according to USA Today. It is a new, interactive dark ride that combines advanced, state-of-the-art technology, putting guests in the center of an epic battle between good and evil. This next generation of interactive thrills uses immersive 4D scenery and graphics, life-like animatronics, real-time gaming elements and motion-based, multi-degrees-of-freedom vehicles. JUSTICE LEAGUE: Battle For Metropolis finds DC Comics’ SUPERMAN, BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN, THE FLASH and the rest of the Justice League under attack from Lex Luthor, The Joker and their henchmen. Aided by the cybernetic Super Hero known as CYBORG, guests will be recruited to join the JUSTICE LEAGUE reserve team and trained to use high-tech laser blasters in preparation for anything the Super-Villains have in store for them.”
Okay, so I was expecting sort of a Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters type ride, or maybe a bit like the Toy Story Mania ride at Disneyland. Nope! In a way, it is – but on a whole new level. The screens are 3D with awesome graphics, as you’re shooting the henchmen and droid things. You also have some 4D affects as you ride through the ride – and it feels almost like a roller coaster as you follow the villians down into the subway, going upside down and all around! You don’t REALLY do that, but it sure feels like it 🙂
There’s so many things that you’re just like ‘holy cow, cool!’ during the ride – like a fog screen where you actually can go THROUGH targets. We fit our group of 6 in one vehicle – 3 in front and 3 in back. Unlike some rides where the back is a bit blocked by the front row, that wasn’t a problem at all on this one!
I love going to Six Flags over Texas, and many of the rides are ‘favorites’ of mine – but this one is definitely near the top of that list! My kids get to go for Spring Break this week, so we’re really looking forward to them trying this ride for the first time! Our little superheros are going to be in heaven!
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!
Click on each picture to see the trailer (if available yet) for each of these – there’s some FABULOUS ones!
January 29, 2016 #TheFinestHours – see my review here
March 4, 2016 #Zootopia – see my review here
April 15, 2016 #JungleBook
May 6, 2016 #CaptainAmericaCivilWar
May 27, 2016 #DisneyAlice
June 17, 2016 #FindingDory
July 1, 2016 #TheBFG
August 12, 2016 #PetesDragon (no trailer yet)
Fall 2016 #QueenOfKatwe (no trailer yet)
November 4, 2016 #DoctorStrange (no trailer yet)
November 23, 2016 #Moana
December 16, 2016 #RogueOne (no trailer yet)
TBD 2016 #TheLightBetweenOceans (no trailer yet)
I’ll update with trailers as they become available, so make sure to check back!
Our family is completely in love with LEGO® sets. I don’t just mean a little bit – it’s the activity my kids ask for more often than most any other. We have huge totes and buckets full of pieces – the largest supply being from Hubby’s childhood! Yup, our love of these building blocks goes deep – it was his main thing growing up, and now he’s sharing it with his children. Plus, now we can enjoy LEGO® Super Heroes at any age! You may be wondering ‘Why are LEGO® sets good for Kids?‘ Here’s the reasons I personally like best!
Since we’re also major super hero fans, the LEGO® Super Heroes: MARVEL™ and LEGO® Super Heroes: DC UNIVERSE™ sets are the PERFECT thing for this group of kiddos – and us adults, too! They bring characters from comic books and new movie releases to LEGO brick form, making great fun for all.
I really wish I’d gotten my family’s reactions on video when I pulled out the two sets we received. You can tell how my hubby and Black Widow responded in the picture above, at least! My boys were equally thrilled, and couldn’t wait to get started on the LEGO® JUNIORS (Ages 4+) that was the perfect level for them. They had so much fun putting together Spiderman and his helicopter, then played for hours with him, Green Goblin and the rescue force dude that came in the set.
They didn’t even need much supervision because LEGO® JUNIORS delivers fun, age-appropriate building sets with easy-to-follow building instructions, colorful photos and playful guidance to help to ensure a smooth transition to independent building. Quick start elements and modular bricks, such as walls and archways, facilitate easy builds—giving children out-of-the-box success.
Storytelling and creative play is inspired by a variety of iconic themes.
My kids LOVE coming up with stories inspired by their favorite super heroes with these sets! It’s so funny to hear them say things such as ‘I’ll get you Green Goblin’ and ‘spider web ahoy’! Hubby and I were grinning ear to ear, remember all the superhero games from when we were little. I’m so glad the love of super heroes is strong in my family!
As children play, they grow confident in their ability to bring stories and ideas to life.
I let Black Widow do the Batman & Deathstroke LEGO® Super Heroes (ages 5-12) set by herself, and it couldn’t be more perfect for her age range! With just very minor help here and there, she really felt good about herself once it was all done!
Because LEGO® Super Heroes is a perfect way to introduce the entire family to the land of make-believe & open-ended play. With something for every age, you are never too young or too much of an adult to build your own version of a superhero with LEGO bricks.
Which brings us to our last reason these are such great toys for kids:
It really does bridge the gap between generations! We get the grandparents down playing with these guys, building and creating, using their imaginations for new stories and situations. They love it!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Super hero fans, show off your geeky side with an easy craft for Christmas that features Marvel and DC Comics. These DiY super hero ornaments will look fantastic on your Christmas tree, no matter which universe is your favorite. All you need is a few basic craft supplies and the free printable patterns.
Hi! It’s Keri from One Mama’s Daily Drama. We are mostly Marvel fans at my house, although we are getting into the DC universe a little bit. I know that Danielle’s family loves DC too, so I wanted to share the super hero love here.
I made three Marvel patterns: Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow. I also made three DC patterns: Batman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman.
These ornaments are made from felt and require no sewing. They’re the perfect family craft to get everyone in the holiday spirit. I think this will be fun for a pretty wide age range.
This would be fun for a Christmas party activity too. Everyone could pick their favorite hero to make. Although I think if you asked my kids which super hero is their favorite, they would say all of them.
*Lay out newspaper to protect your work surface from glue and starch.
1. Start by printing and cutting out the super hero ornaments patterns.
2. Trace the outside circle on to the felt and cut it out. I used a permanent marker for everything but the black. You could use white chalk, but I just held the paper and cut slowly.
3. Trim the outermost section from the pattern and trace it again onto the next color. Repeat this step until you have all of the pieces cut out. Most of these only have two or three layers. (Captain America will take a little longer with five.)
4. Stack the layers for each ornament to plan the placement. Using the craft glue, glue the layers together and let them dry. This should take about 10 minutes or so, depending on your glue.
5. When the ornaments are completely dry, pinch the top section in half and cut a small slit for the ribbon. Cut a piece of ribbon about 5 inches long. Poke it through the hole and tie a knot at the top.
6. If you want the ornaments to be stiffer, hang them up and spray the starch on both sides. Allow them to dry for half an hour or more. This step is optional and I found that some ornaments were thicker than others to begin with (like Captain America) because of the added layers.
When the starch is completely dry, the ornaments are ready to hang on the tree.
These are a lot of fun to make. My son was really excited to see them come together and immediately asked me if I could make more super hero patterns.
If you liked this post, you might also be interested in How to Build LEGO Christmas Ornaments on One Mama’s Daily Drama.
Which super hero ornament is your favorite?
