Make Dreams (and Wishes) Come True on North Texas Giving Day, Sept.19

Wow Mom Wednesday: 

Imagine your first family vacation started with a stretch limo and first-class seating for a four-year old and two-year old.

Imagine staying a resort that serves ice cream to kids 24/7, hosts Christmas and Halloween weekly and a sweet fuzzy 8-foot bunny comes and tucks in your child before they go to sleep.

Imagine your child having a life-threatening illness and for one week everything from breakfast to baths was done in efforts to make them feel like they were the most important thing in the world and everything you could anticipate was already taken care of on your behalf. 

Imagine all that and more...cost-free.

We’ll that was my four-year-old’s first family vacation and his wish granted by Tarrant County-based A Wish with Wings, a non-profit organization that grants wishes to Texas children who have life threatening illnesses.

Remembering the trip, I’m still almost without words on how I can express my ultimate gratitude for making this wish possible for him as well as our entire family!



And even more astounding is that my son is more than one of the 120,000 kids that have experienced the incredible experience of Give Kids the World Village, a 70-acre, non-profit storybook resort in Florida that treats the families of children with life-threatening diseases on a cost-free dream vacation. 

The trip was full of firsts: a first limo, a first plane ride, a first family vacation and a first (and) only Wish Trip.

While my husband and I braced ourselves for taking two kids on a plane ready with snacks, activities and electronics, we were met at the airport with smiles and assistance – making the trip pretty dreamy for us.



Upon arrival at Give the Kids the World Village, we were in every kids’ dream world with ice-cream served all day, a life-sized Candyland game to play, horse riding, fishing and even a waterpark right outside our door to the two-bedroom villa we were provided during our stay. While we could have been pretty supremely happy just staying on the premises, there was a little boy’s wish of meeting Mickey Mouse to make come true. 

The next morning we charted our first of three journeys to Disney World. It was only fitting we would visit the Magic Kingdom and its new Fantasyland, the newest, largest expansion to the park and made with little ones in mind first. We just weren’t sure exactly how much in mind they had for “wish kids” like Jackson.

Upon arrival, THANKFULLY we were provided a double stroller to be able to roll through with two kids at 90-degrees plus temperatures. And just like they promise, once we approached Cinderella’s Castle, just like a storybook, Mickey and the entire cast began singing as soon as we approached and instantly my kids were chanting, “Dreams Come True” with beautiful smiles upon their faces and twinkles in their eyes. I couldn’t help but begin to tear up and let the magic take over all of us.

However, the magic we would encounter had only begun. Each and every ride we came to was met with a “Hi Jackson” and a better-than-fast-pass leap to the front of the line. Yep, for three days the longest we stood in a line was around 10 minutes and it was Memorial Day Weekend!

While going to Disney World was Jackson’s first wish, his second wish was to go to the beach and build a sand castle. Being so close the coast, my husband and I worked to make this off-the-charts experience even better. So we purchased every sand castle toy we could at Walmart, packed the car with sunscreen and towels and made our way to Cocoa Beach to bask in the sun and see our little ones experience the ocean. It was simply perfect.

I could continue you to share our magical week including a round of Dino-golf, the five times we road the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios in the rain or how we enjoyed eating with the Princesses at Askersus Hall and Jackson being kissed by each of them (he still blushes talking about that moment, too!)

However, it was the opportunity to give me and my husband the strength and the occasion to finally tell Jackson about his heart condition, what happened to him when he was born and why he has a large scar across his chest. All of a sudden, in this one moment, we felt telling him here, with all these other children at Give the Kids the World, he wouldn’t feel like he was different because he had a problem, but he was different because he is amazing.

I can never begin to repay A Wish with Wings, Give Kids the World, any of the companies that donate thier time and money, or any of the countless volunteers that help keep this cause alive. However, this Thursday, September 19, WE CAN HELP by contributing to North Texas Giving Day. On this very special day, your donation (of at least $25) to A Wish with Wings will be amplified, giving an even bigger opportunity for even more wishes to be granted.

Together, let’s make sure that even more " Dreams Come True"  for children with life-threatening illness in North Texas.

HOTDOG! Mega Mickey Mouse Birthday Party Plan

Wow-Mom Wednesday:

I don't pretend to be a crafty woman. I wish I was. However, I'm one heck of pinner and can find pretty much anything on Pinterest. Especially party ideas.

So as we approached two monumental birthdays for my kiddos with my daughter turning 2 in August and my son turning 5 in June, planning began by February 1. However, when my son was granted his wish to go to Disney World from A Wish With Wings, everything became Mickey Mouse. I mean everything. So of course, so did the birthday party.

Thankfully, with just a little help from some lovely bloggers on Pinterest & Etsy, some Amazon.com purchases, a few local party rentals and 1 lovely neighbor who happened to have some leftover Mickey Mouse decor, we had a party to make Walt Disney proud - or at least make my little ones excited!

Invites:

Oh Etsy, how do I love thee, let me count the ways...Thanks to MyCelebrationShoppe, I had these adorable invites made!

Then using the following graphic and downloading a similar Disney font I downloaded online, I addressed the invitations.

Best of call, since we had the invited printed before our trip to Disney, Jackson was able to person give his invitation to Mickey Mouse personally at Disney World to his Mickey Mouse-inspired birthday. It was such a precious opportunity!

Clothing: 

Like any good mama going to Disney, I had personalized clothes made for my kids. We then repurposed them for their birthday outfits! Adorable and affordable from Etsy's ThePolkaDotLollipop (she was amazing, quick and so easy to work with!)

Decor: 

As I mentioned I had a neighbor who had balloons, a Mickey cardboard standout and some banners to start with, so I was already in good business.


But mama never stops at that.

Thanks to Amazon I was able to order plates, napkins, tablecloths, a little polka dot material for a tablescape and even a photo backdrop to stick up on the fence to welcome families when they arrived at the party. (They also made for great photo backdrops!)

Borrowing an idea from the Mickey Mouse Playhouse attraction at Disney's Magic Kingdom, we added a balloon drop from Amazon to pull after signing "Happy Birthday." I mean, who doesn't love balloons? And it's was less than $12.

So I wasn't selling out completly, Jackson and I spent an afternoon making a Mickey centerpiece for the refreshment table from a post I had found from The Simple Life using styrofoam, a terra cotta pot, a dowel rod and spray paint.
    

Refreshments:

My favorite part of the party is always the food! However, this year we made it easy, hotdogs of course had to be on the menu (Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!) and chips for each munching.

Since we always do AM birthday parties, we needed a little something healthy, my grandparents sent over this adorable Edible Arrangements (perfect!)

At this age cupcakes are a mandatory since cake + 2 year-olds just makes a big, sticky mess on me.  Just purchasing cupcakes from our neighborhood market, we put cute Mickey Mouse toppers I found on Amazon.com and then this adorable cupcake stand from Wilson. (Easy enough I could do it) 

I tried to make our drinks easy, but it actually took a little tracking down from Langers on Facebook. They actually let me know where to find these Mickey Mouse apple juice pouches, so I bought around five cases just to make sure I didn't run out!

But I had to do one more thing when I came across some photos of some cute cake pops and cupcakes featuring Oreo cookies for Mickey Mouse ears. While I found several different versions of how to do them Mickey Mouse Oreo Cookies on a Stick, I ended up with my own shortcut version (I'll be posting soon!) But, let's face it, if I can do it, anyone can! 

Entertainment:

On to the fun! Since bounce houses are the way to go with kiddos at this age, we were able to find a everything Mickey Mouse 5-in-1 combo playhouse for a great price from Affordable Bouncehouses. They did everything from set up to breakdown. We kept it dry while the party was happening, but afterwards I let the kids go crazy when we hooked up the hose to slide for a little water action! 

But the real entertainment of the part was a special visit from Mickey Mouse himself! A sweet invitation from Jackson (and a call to It's a Party Today) made sure Mickey was available to come by for a special birthday treat! After the party had started, Mickey showed up with his own DJ to play fun birthday games and music to get the whole party going for around an hour. He even stayed for birthday cake, photos and passed out restaurant gift cards to the kiddos! We had a blast with Mickey and his friend and the kids couldn't get enough of him either! (Even if you aren't doing Mickey Mouse, don't worry, they do a little bit of everything!) 

And you can't forget the favors! 

What's a Mickey Mouse party without ears? Unfortunately, most the ones I found rather expensive ($5 at least a pair.) Thankfully I found an international online company called AliExpress.com that was able to send me a package of 30 Mickey and Minnie ears with bows for less than $1 a pair! While I had to order these well in advance of the party (two months), they sent them over in no time and with no issues. 

Putting it all together:

Since the party was at 10 AM, we had a lot to put up and get up early that morning. So to keep all the details in check, I took a template from Vertex42 and reformatted it to my own needs! Feel free to use this birthday plan checklist downloadable in Google Docs for day-of birthday deliveries, pickups and must-dos. 

The whole party was so much fun and we are so thankful to everyone who came to celebrate! 

You can find more Mickey Mouse party ideas on my Pinterest page! 

Family Drive-In Movie Night with Netflix

Wow-Mom Wednesday:

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix.

When I was growing up I always had drive-in theatre in my own hometown. I have many fond memories of our family watching movies, sitting in the car with the crackle of the attached speaker on the window and a bucket of popcorn in my lap. 

Fast forward to now. While drive-in theatres are back in vogue even in the big city, my kiddos are still not ready (or at least I'm not) to take on the summer fun adventure of two children under 5 in the car for two hours plus and at least $40 out for refreshments.

So we've opted for the next best thing - our own drive-in movie night at home using Netflix.

Rolling out the TV to the back patio, the kids rolled up their cars and mama brought out the popcorn.

Now to choose what to watch!

Using the NEW Netflix.com/Families features, we were able to look through so many categories on our Apple TV including Family Movie Night, Are We There Yet and TV for Curious Kids. While there were so many to choose from, the love of Mickey Mouse won them over with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally. (And at only 48 minutes and no commercials it was ideal for my two-year-old!) 

And just for the occasion, we broke out the ears! Even our Lab, Birddie, got in on the fun. 

We had so much fun with just changing where we were watching TV with Netflix, we decided to make it a double-feature and watched The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

What an inexpensive night of fun - and all for $7.99 a month. (That's still less one ticket to the movies!) And doing the math for a family of four and treats, it's a big budget item for only two hours out of the house when with Netflix, you can get it unlimited! 

I'll admit I don't know if we will roll the TV out come August in Texas, but it doesn't matter where we watch Netflix. Between our iPad, iPhone, Apple TV and the good ole laptop, Netflix is just a few clicks away for family night fun.

About Netflix

Netflix.com/Families is a new destination designed to meet your family’s summertime entertainment needs. On Netflix.com/Families, parents can find lists of movies and TV shows for all kinds of special summer moments.

Visit www.Netflix.com/Families for more information on the best ways to stream as well as videos from families using Netflix.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix.

First Family Vacay: Give Kids the World Village

First Family Vacay: First Flight

We Are to Going Disney World...NOW WHAT?

To-Do Thursday: 

Photo courtesy of 1001fonts.com.

NOW WHAT? 

Is it just me or does it seem like your list keeps getting longer and you aren't taking anything off? I know mine does. So I took a big look at my calendar and saw what was on my "must-do" list for this weekend: 

Go to Michael's on Saturday for "Kids Craft, You Shop" Event for $2!
Very cool event for kids to do a special themed craft at your local Michaels, learn more here.

Get Ready for "Day Out with Thomas" at Grapevine (next weekend)!
Don't have your ticket yet? Then get your discount code here!

Prepare for a trip to Disney?!?
WHAT? Yep, you got that right! My son's wish was granted from a Wish with Wings to go to Disney World and we go in less than 90 days! Considering some good moms plan this magical trip for months and sometimes years, it's difficult to think I haven't planned anything yet! #uhohspaghettios

Photo courtesy of the a Wish with Wings Facebook page

So to get things rolling, I decided to ask my fellow mom experts who have thought of EVERYTHING from how to surprise their kids they are going, how to dress them, itineraries - you name it.

Wow. Man, did I learn one thing...there is SO much to learn about going to Disney World! 

So while I'm doing my homework to attempt to live up to my four-year-old's dream vacation (did I mention it's his FIRST vacation, too?), here's a look at some of my favorite posts and sites to help us plan our trip to Disney World? 

Milk and Cuddles: Dining at Disney World 1 and More Dining at Disney
There's so much to say here, she had to do two posts! Did you know you SHOULD make reservations for some of your Disney dining choices at 180 days out BEFORE your trip? Yep, it's true and there are so many places to eat, snack and treat. And considering eating is one of our favorite past times, dining is at the top of our Disney to-do list. Shannon, gives you the lowdown on what you need to know to get your grub down on Big D (Disney that is!)

Ramblings of a Frugal Mom: Disney World Tips, Tricks and Ideas!
Dawn's family heads to Disney each time she finds out she's pregnant (sounds like a reason to keep having kids, right?) This DFW-based online expert knows how to do things awesome and inexpensively. She shares all her memorable tricks to make your trip memorable for years to come. 

Suitcases to Sippy Cups: What Happens When You Lose a Child at Disney
This mama knows how to travel AND with her family in tow, too. She's done a little bit of everything from RVing, skiing, and of course, Disney. While I don't anticipate losing my child, it is a relief that it's happened before AND there's a way to locate your kid. (Consider it like algebra, you don't need it daily, but there will be a time.) 

My Crazy Savings: Looking for a Stroller Rental at Disney World?
With two kids under 5 at Disney, I'm sure there will be more time on wheels than there will be on feet. And since we will also be on a plane to get there, I'm not going to try to tote the "good stroller" to Disney or use the "cheap" one and have it die out on my on Day 1. 

Alpha Mom: 65 Things to Do & See at Disney World? 
While we won't be doing all of these things, it was a great checklist to begin our jouney of "what to do, what to do." 

Free Disney Font Download: without having to download a free toolbar to create some of the coolest stuff for the kids like shirts, special messages and more. 

WDW Prep School: "How to Plan a Trip to Disney World in 6 Steps, this is my one-place-for-everything from packing lists, templates and more. (She's got things there I wouldn't even think to think about.)

So now I ask: do you have a recommendation of must-dos for two toddlers at Disney World? If so, please let me know. Really, I need all the help I can get. And if you are a blogger, than share your link here and I'd love to add it to this "best of" Disney blog posts!