Gulf Coast Luxury at Cinnamon Shore

This post is sponsored by Cinnamon Shore.

A couple years ago, my husband and I took our kids to stay in Port Aransas. Neither one of us had been there before, but I found a really cute place in Cinnamon Shore that looked really nice so I booked it. It was one of our favorite vacations to date.While we were there, we were able to entertain the kids with a sand castle competition, ride on a golf cart on the beach, and watch a movie on the lawn in the community area. We left that weekend trip vowing to go back one day just the two of us.And this past week, we were able to do just that. We stayed in a beautiful condo in the same Cinnamon Shore area and it was even better than we remembered. We roasted marshmallows on the fire pit, ate at both on site restaurants, and swam in one of the three pools on the property. It was amazing.So if you're looking to visit the Corpus Christi/Mustang Island/South Padre Island area but are looking for something a little more upscale with all of the amenities you could ever want, Cinnamon Shore is the place to go.

Where to Stay

We stayed at the beautiful Serenity Blue at Cinnamon Shore. It’s part of a large community that is right on the dunes! They’ve got 2 dune cross overs to the beach, three community pools, on-site dining, weekly entertainment, two community lakes for fishing, a pirate ship playground, a dog play ground and dog washing area, and a fitness center. And don’t forget to rent a golf cart from Top Deck Golf Carts because that’s how everyone travels from place to place in this beach-side community.

Where to Eat

Dylan’s Pizzeria

Right as you enter Cinnamon Shore, you'll find Dylan's Coal Oven Pizzeria. We were able to have dinner there one evening and the guys working there couldn't have been nicer! They gave us some great recommendations on what to order and we were so glad to have taken their advice!I had the Bianca Pizza with pesto chicken added. It's a white sauce pizza and I'm not lying when I tell you that it was probably the best white pizza I've ever had. It was amazing. My husband had the Tradizionale with sausage and peppers and he said that his was great too.I'd also recommend getting the Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita. It was so flavorful! The predominate flavor was pineapple and then a gentle heat sneaks up on you towards the end. Delicious! I can't wait to go back and eat there again!

Lisabella’s

When you're staying at Cinnamon Shore for a relaxing getaway, this restaurant is a must for dinner. Their menu is primarily seafood, with some steak and quail thrown in as well.Recommendations: Get the crab cake for an appetizer. It's got tons of crab in it and is served with a delicious beurre blanc sauce. For your meal, get either the Red Snapper or the Filet. I've also heard that the Seafood Enchiladas are good as well.Our chocolate cake for dessert wasn't all that special. So maybe skip dessert here.Pro Tip: You'll want to make a reservation. Because of social distancing, a reservation is required to get a table - especially on Tuesday and Thursday evenings when there is a live band playing.The locals also recommended La Playa, Phoenix, Venetian Hot Plate, Island Market, Lelo’s, and Roosevelt’s. So I’ll try to check out a few of these the next time I’m in town.

Indulge Yourself

The best way to relax while on vacation is to plan ahead and anticipate your needs.When I travel, I always have a plan for what we’re going to eat upon arrival. It never fails. You go on a road trip, you get to your destination, you get unpacked, and then you’re exhausted and hungry with no energy to go out to eat.That’s why on this trip, I ordered from Bodega Box to have a charcuterie box of nibbles to be delivered around the time that we’d be arriving. It was perfect! They thought of everything and it was the perfect snack to tide us over until our dinner reservation. Plus, we had some left over to use for a beach picnic the next day!Shopping is great here too! Be sure to check out Roam, Roam Home, The Palm Republic, and Coastal Closet. They have all sorts of things from clothing to home décor and you’re sure to find something you like.

What to Do

The beach is definitely the #1 spot to spend some time while you’re enjoying the Port Aransas area.Texas Sandfest is a close second. We brought our kids a couple years ago to this event and it was amazing! There were people from all over the world building huge, detailed sand art and displaying it for all to see. There were some really amazing pieces! The event takes place every April (although this year’s was canceled) and they’re already scheduled for next year’s to be bigger than ever!Cinnamon Shore also has daily activities scheduled all year round! While we were there, there was s'mores at the fire pit, sand castle building lessons, and yoga. During the Fall, they also have movies in the outdoor theater, beach workouts, surfing lessons, and tons of live music. During the summer months, they have up to 5 different activities scheduled each day! You WILL NOT be bored at Cinnamon Shore

More Texas Towns You’ll Love:

Corpus ChristiKerrvillePlanoIf you'd like to see more travel tips like this, follow me on Facebook!

5 Tips for Easy Spring Cleaning

This post contains affiliate links. All photos and opinions are mine and should not be used without written permission.

I don't know about you, but all of this time I'm spending at home is making me look around my house and realize I need to purge. Badly. I've got a few unorganized spaces and I know that when I'm organized, I'm more focused and productive. So in case you need some help in this department, I'm going to show you what I do in order to get inspired and get tidy. This post is adapted from a video I created for Walmart's Grocery Pickup Magazine.

Focus on one space at a time

Rome wasn’t built in a day and cleaning up your house isn’t going to happen that fast either! Start with one area that bothers you most and take it from there. For me, it’s my desk. Let’s get this thing cleaned up!

Get Everything Out.

Take everything out of the area you’re working on. Clean out every drawer. Open the doors and pull out all of those loose papers.

Make the Hard Decisions

Once you have everything out of your space, separate all of the items in 3 categories – Keep, Donate/Sell, Trash. This is definitely the hard part because you simply cannot keep everything! You’ve got to purge some stuff, Mama! Use a Great Value trash bag to bag it all up.

Clean everything before you put it back.

Dust, wipe down, and disinfect it all so that you know that everything that is going back into that space is going to be clean and safe for your family. One thing I do is I keep all of my general cleaning supplies in one easy to carry tote. I love using my magic eraser to get those hard to clean marks off of walls, tables, and floors. I seriously don’t know how they work but they’re amazing! I also use this time to fix anything that may be broken or missing pieces.

Create a space for everything you’re keeping

Before you just start shoving everything back into the space, have a plan in mind! Make sure you have a specific place for everything, because if everything has its own place, you’re sure to stay organized.

I feel so much better now that I have a clean desk and area to work in!Happy Spring Cleaning![activecampaign form=1]

Springtime Protein Packed Yogurt Bowl

This post is sponsored by Randalls. All photos and opinions are mine and should not be used without written permission.

After a dreary Winter, I am really loving the weather during this sunny Spring!Spring time to me means eating outdoors, fresh seasonal food, and enjoying that glorious sunshine! So when some girlfriends of mine wanted to get together for a garden party (pre-quarantine), I said yes so fast they weren’t ready for it!As the writer of a food blog, I knew I was going to be bringing my A game to this themed party. I’ve been trying to eat healthier lately, so I felt like keeping the menu light was definitely the way to go. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to do gluten free, plant based, or just include ingredients that promote relaxation, so I decided to do all of the above!

First up is this protein-packed power bowl. This healthy bowl is packed full of pro-biotics, fresh fruits, and healthy fats - so what’s there not to like? But the best part is that it’s easy to make but it looks like a million bucks.What I like about this recipe too is the versatility. You could easily make this yogurt bowl as individual plated portions, serve it family style, or even create a yogurt bar complete with all the toppings so your guests/family members can mix and match their own ingredients.

What’s in a Power Bowl?

I’m going to let you in on a little secret...power bowls include whatever you want to put into it.But they also typically have lots of protein, good fats, nuts, and are generally good for you.So for this specific power bowl, I wanted it to have fresh ingredients, be low in fat, and be packed with flavor. Here’s what’s in my bowl:

Open Nature Icelandic Yogurt, Mixed Berry Acai Flavor

Part 2% and part skim milk, this sweet yogurt contains a plethora of fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and acai. Not only is that color perfection, but the flavor is as well. I hate boring yogurt and this flavor is anything but boring!

Open Nature Icelandic Yogurt, Vanilla Flavor

This lowfat yogurt is made with 2% milk, so it’s perfectly creamy with just the slightest hint of vanilla. It made for a great contrast with the mixed berry acai yogurt I added it to, but I’m sure it would be equally as delicious on its own.

Pomegranate seeds

After cracking open a hard, red pomegranate, you’ll find these gems. These crunchy black seeds are encased in sweet red juice and are a great texture contrast to the smooth and creamy yogurts. They have tons of antioxidants and fiber too, so they’re perfect for digestive health.

O Organics Trail Mix Cranberry Nut

I hate a trail mix that is nothing but granola, so this trail mix rates pretty high for me (there’s no granola in it whatsoever). It’s got crunchy almonds, cashews, and tangy dried cranberries in it, so it really does make your tastebuds do a little dance.

Raspberries

Packed with Vitamin C and E, raspberries are great for brain health. Plus, they taste good - even if you just eat them off of your fingers like my daughter does.

Where do I Find the Ingredients?

I purchased all of my O Organics® and Open Nature® ingredients for this power bowl at my local Randalls.They also carry these brands exclusively at all of the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets, and Carrs/Safeway. You can visit Albertsons.com or randalls.com to find a store near you. And while you’re there, be sure to check out their meal prep tips and recipe ideas as well!The best part about shopping at my local Randalls is the online savings. I love creating my shopping list online, adding my digital coupons, and making things easier on myself for when I’m actually in the store (especially if I have the kids with me).While I’m not spending much time in store lately, Randalls has made some awesome accommodations to their shopping experience - like special shopping hours for seniors and keeping the shelves stocked.

Ready for the recipe?

Protein-Packed Power Bowl

This healthy bowl is packed full of pro-biotics, fresh fruits, and healthy fats - so what’s there not to like? But the best part is that it’s easy to make but it looks like a million bucks.

• 4 containers Open Nature Icelandic Yogurt Mixed Berry Acai
• 1 container Open Nature Icelandic Yogurt (Vanilla)
• ½ package O Organics Trail Mix Cranberry Nut
• 1 pint Raspberries
• 2 oz Pomegranate gems

1. Open the yogurt containers and pour the content of them into your bowl. You can use as much or as little as you like of each (I used mostly Mixed Berry Acai Open Nature Icelandic Yogurt with just a dollop of Vanilla Open Nature Icelandic Yogurt).
2. Add the fruits and trail mix however you like (I, of course, had to make a design, but that’s totally up to you).
3. Enjoy!

Now, when you’re eating your good-for-you yogurt bowl, make sure to use your good-for-the-planet cutlery! These Open Nature® Compostable Spoons are perfect for a garden party or just a night eating around the dinner table. Since they’re made out of a plant-based material, you can enjoy these use and toss spoons and not feel guilty about adding to a landfill somewhere.This garden party had everything I love in it - food, flowers, and good friends. I just love the freshness of this time of year!If you’d like to see more Spring recipes like this, follow me on Facebook!

Plano, Texas | Where to Stay, Eat, and Play

This post was sponsored by Visit Plano. It contains affiliate links.

This past weekend my husband and I celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary. When I say the last 12 years have been crazy, wonderful, chaotic, hurtful, and full of love, I mean it. Marriages aren't perfect. After all, people aren't perfect. But what matters is that two people who love each other can get through anything if they both work at it hard enough.In order to celebrate our anniversary, we thought what better way to do it than to go on a little weekend getaway without the kids. We didn't want to go to far, and we wanted to eat well and enjoy ourselves. So we opted for Plano, Texas. Neither of us had been to Plano before (we usually drive through the area on the way to somewhere else on a road trip), but we thought we would check out what there is to do.We ended up having such a great time! We slept in. We ate what we wanted to. And we saw the sights. Plano has a great assortment of things to and I'm going to outline them below for you.

Where to Stay in Plano, Texas

We stayed at the oh so fabulous Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West. It was fantastic! From the moment we checked in, the staff was so friendly and helpful and everywhere you looked there were delicious little touches. The lobby had fruit infused water, fresh lemonade, and other goodies like peanut brittle and house made lollipops. It was fun to leave and come back and see what treasures awaited us there! There's also a gorgeous roof top pool with ample amounts of seating and a swanky upscale bar near the lobby with some really neat decor. The beds were also really comfy and the rooms were spacious.This hotel has Happy Hour every Monday through Thursday from 5pm to 7pm to enjoy special drink prices and featured monthly specials. You can enjoy your cocktail at the bar, or step outside onto the terrace and gather around the fire pit. They also have a "Punch Ritual" held every weekday starting at 6pm. The Punch Ritual offers the opportunity for you to learn about their cocktail-making process and the seasonal ingredients they use to create them. It's delicious and educational!One really great part of the hotel is that when you walk out the door, you walk straight onto Legacy West. This road is full of fine dining, upscale shopping, and Legacy Food Hall. Any time of day we went, there were people buzzing around and enjoying themselves. Nighttime was definitely the busiest, as the fountains were on full display with lights and movements set to music. It was a great spot to sit, people watch, and enjoy the music.

Where to Eat

We ate a lot, but I'm going to narrow it down for you top places we'd like to go back to:XO Coffee Company. From the moment we walked in, I loved this place. It's a good size cafe with fresh made coffees and delicious brunch items. We ordered the mocha, caramel latte, Nutella stuffed french toast with sugared bacon and cheesesteak. That French toast and bacon was simply amazing. I would go back over and over again for that. The staff was all really helpful and friendly as well. Go early in order to get a good table!The Biscuit Bar. Go early or expect a wait. And there's a reason for that. The locals and visitors alike know that this place is pumping out delicious food! We opted for the Buffalo chicken and blue cheese biscuit, sausage and gravy biscuit, cold brew, and a fruity pebble cereal drink (alcoholic). Everything was SO good! The buffalo chicken biscuit had hardly any spice to it, so if you're afraid of setting your mouth on fire, this won't do it. Next time, I will definitely be trying the hot chocolate biscuit. That thing looked amazing!Mexican Sugar. We started off with the queso blanco and it was tasty. It was nice and creamy and the salsa that came with it was really flavorful. I always like it when my salsa comes warm, because you know it's fresh. We then ordered the steak enchiladas and the carne asada tacos. For the tacos, I opted for lettuce cups instead of the traditional flour tortillas and it was a really great option for people who are trying to cut carbs. The only regret I have is not trying their chocolate avocado cake. That looked really great, we were just too full to get one by the end of the meal!B Frank & Relish. They weren't busy at 7pm on a Saturday evening and I'm still not really sure why. We walked up and were seated right away. The server recommended the B Famous wings and we were really happy he did. They were amazing! The flavor was so great and because they sous vide them for 3 hours before serving them, they're just fall off the bone tender! The Fiery Pineapple Margarita was great too. It didn't set my mouth on fire - it was just a slow, gentle heat mixed with delicious pineapple - perfection! The white truffle and parmesan fries were really good. I could have had a side of that white truffle aoili with it and would have been perfectly content with that as my dinner. The Harvest Greek salad and the street tacos were okay, but they weren't wow-worthy like those wings were. Their Old fashioned cocktail is another one to get. They brand the ice with a signature 'B' and it makes for a really smooth cocktail. Lastly, the fried smores...heaven on a plate. I mean they deep fry smores, people. How can you really go wring with that? You can't. Oh, and they serve it with chocolate sauce that you pour over the whole thing. So good! The staff was super attentive and were a fun group! We'll definitely be back!Sixty Vines. First of all, you should really have a reservation when you come here - especially if you have a large group. We went in on a Friday night and with our reservation, we were seated right away. We opted for the Frose and red wine flight to start. The price point was pretty good for what you got with the drinks. As a starter, we got the Wagu Carpaccio. The flavor was tangy and delicious! For dinner, we shared the filet, fregola, spicy sausage pizza, and broccoli-avocado slaw. Out of everything, the filet and the fregola were awesome! The filet was tender and melt in your mouth delicious. The fregola was creamy and a perfect combination with the filet. The rest of what we got was okay, but it just wasn't something we would order again. We had the Deviled Affogado and as much as I really wanted to like it, I just didn't. The flavors felt like they were competing with one another and not melding together like I had hoped they would. All that being said, the restaurant itself is gorgeous. There's high ceilings, tons of light, great decor, and tons of attention to detail (like leather menus and luxurious terry cloth napkins). If you're looking for trendy, this is the place.

Things to Do

For Adults

Legacy Food Hall. This three-story food court is so much more than fast food restaurants! In fact, it has 22 chef-driven food stalls, a brewery, and live music and entertainment in the Box Garden. It's a great way to spend a few hours eating, drinking, and enjoying time together with friends.Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve. Hike, canoe and zip line your way through the wilderness!Go Ape. This canopy tour has you harnessed in, going up rope ladders, 30 crossings, and several zip lines. See the beauty of Plano from the sky!Pinstack. With bowling lanes, an LED rock climbing wall, and indoor games for the whole family, this place is a great way to spend an afternoon. They also have an in-house restaurant and full bar for some late night fun.Legacy West. This collection of outdoor shopping, fine dining, and entertainment is great fun! Be sure to go by in the evenings and watch the fountain show!Escape Expert. Think you're smart enough to solve all the puzzles and make it out of the room? Try it and find out!Pipe & Palette. Grab your friends and paint something together! It's sure to be a fun time.End Zone Plano. Like to play pool? This is the spot for you! They also offer poker, karaoke, and bingo on select nights of the week.Granite Park Boardwalk. This boardwalk is another great place to relax and unwind. There's tons of quality restaurants, corn hole, patio dining, connect four, and a hill for the kids to play on.Texas Wine & Wood. Come design and create your own piece of home decor! Sand, stain, and paint your way to a masterpiece!Bullet Trap. This indoor gun range is a great place to work on your marksmanship and also obtain your handgun license.

For Kids

Colorful World of Crayola. Create your own crayola box of markers in the Crayola store and then head on over to the Colorful World of Crayola where kids can get hands on with their color! Teachers also get free annual passes!Heritage Farmstead Museum. Experience what life was like on the farm with calf roping, cooking over an open fire, and making crafts.Kid Mania. Let the kids loose with slides, bungee walls, climbing nets and more! There's also a parent area where kids aren't allowed (but you can see the whole kids area from it). Winning!Whirlyball Laser Wirld. This super competitive game is a cross between lacrosse, basketball and bumper cars. You really have to see it to get it.Plano Super Bowl. Bowling. Need I say more?Texas Archery Academy. Learn how to shoot a bow and arrow.Thunderbird Roller Rink. Skate in circles at the roller skating rink!The Children's Health Star Center. Beat the heat or boredom and go ice skating year round at this ice skating rink!Carpenter Skate Park. If ramps, rails, stair sets, ledges, and a "large bowl" mean anything to you, then this place will be your jam! The skate park is also in the shape of the official Plano logo "P".If you'd like to see more tips like this, follow me on Pinterest!

All You Need to Know to Host the Ultimate Magic Kingdom Themed Party

I received free products in order to host a #NowMoreThanEver Disney Playdate Party.

The photos and opinions expressed here are my own and should not be used without written permission. This post contains affiliate links.

What's in the Box?

If you haven't met me before, you'd think I was nuts....that is, when it comes to anything Disney. So when Walt Disney World reached out to me and asked me to host a playdate for their #NowMoreThanEver campaign, I jumped at it! Disney sent me and 80+ other mom bloggers world-wide a box just like this filled with party goodies and told us to have fun with it and make it our own.To say I was excited to get the box and see what was in it is an understatement. I watched the UPS tracking app like a hawk and on the day of delivery, I made sure I was home all day. And then it came. That glorious UPS man dropped off the large cardboard box affixed with a mickey sticker on top and the kids and I ripped into it like it was Christmas.Here's what I found in that box:

• Pinata,
• Pin the nose on the mickey
• Popped Passion Popcorn Cake
• Swirl decorations
• Tablecloth
• Mickey plates
• Mickey cups
• Balloons
• Mickey napkins
• Mickey masks
• Silver Mickey Ears (yes, I put them on as soon as I saw them in the box)
• Princess dress (courtesy of Jakks Pacific)
• Rapunzel doll (courtesy of Jakks Pacific)
• Mickey Pillow Pet (from Pillow Pets Disney)
• Mickey stickers
• Printable Fab Fortune Tellers
• Michael Angelo’s Baked Ziti and Meatballs
• Printable Matching Game.

So that was a great start, but I felt like I needed to come up with a cohesive theme to tie everything together. One thought I couldn't get out of my head was the magic of Walt Disney World and how I wanted that element to be present at the party. I wanted people to walk in and be wowed from the moment they stepped in the door.When visiting Walt Disney World, that moment for me is when I'm walking down Main Street USA and I see Cinderella's Castle right there in front of me in all it's magical glory. So that was that. I officially had a theme - the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Let the planning begin...

Decor

A color scheme is everything when starting to think about decor. For this party, I opted for the colors of Cinderella's castle. I didn't want it to be just another red, black, and yellow Mickey party, and when I think of the Magic Kingdom, I think of walking into the park down Main Street USA and staring straight at Cinderella's Castle. In order to really drive home a theme with your party guests, I love having printed items like welcome signs, food tent cards with names on them, and other fun Walt Disney quotes around the room. Evie from Evangeline Designs made these amazing signs for me and I was so excited about how they turned out! Since this is a kid's party, I didn't want to go too overboard with decor, but I did want to have a few over the top elements that make you go WOW! In addition to the disposable Mickey tablecloth that Disney sent me, I wanted nice linens for the table to match the color scheme. On Cloud 9 Event Rentals to the rescue! Lisa was so sweet and worked with us to find just the right shades to match the party's color scheme.After trying several different avenues, I just couldn't find a life-size Cinderella's Castle that looked nice. This one was cute, but it wasn't impressive enough for me. So then I contacted Designs by Yutz. Their oversized marquee letters were perfect for the look I was going for! They spelled out the word "DISNEY" and even painted the letters to match the decor of the event. Everyone loved them and they were definitely that WOW factor I had wanted! If you're wanting to recreate this look at home on a smaller scale, these 9" tall letters are perfect!Along with the large marquee letters, I wanted something to go around it, so balloons to the rescue! Balloons are always a super cost-effective way of adding color and wow-factor to any event. So balloons here we come! I'll have to do a balloon tutorial sometime soon so I can show you just how easy it is to make these! Toast from the Host and I made this one in about 3o minutes before the party started. Because I can never have enough balloons (and they make a great statement and take up space), I also used helium-filled balloons tied to weighted silver decorations to be the centerpiece on each table.

Food

A party isn't really a party without food. And when you're trying to recreate a magical place like the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, the more silly and themed the better! I love a party with a theme, so even the food and utensils need to have a Disney twist!

Something Substantial

First up, "Lady and the Tramp’s" Baked Ziti & Meatballs. Spaghetti is always a kid favorite, but it's hard to serve. So I opted for Michael Angelo's Baked Ziti and Meatballs and put them in these portion-controlled cups.I also wanted to make sure to give the kids a little something more substantial than all candy and sweets, so I opted for some cheap pizzas as well. Say it's from Toy Story's "Pizza Planet" and you've got an easy to serve food with a fun Disney twist!

Snacks

Every party needs something you can graze on, like "Buzz Lightyear's Space Balls (cheese balls), the "Lost Boys Food Fight" (grapes in red and green), "Olaf's Snow Flurries" (popcorn), and Mickey's special edition goldfish. Just make sure to use some of these scoops for easy serving that kids can do themselves.Tudorhouse Cookies also made these AMAZING Magic Kingdom themed cookies and it really sent the theme over the top! She really got the magic of the Magic Kingdom summed up - Mickey ears, Cinderella Castles, and Walt Disney quotes about chasing your dreams.What says something magical more than sugar crystals turned into puffy clouds of goodness? Twirl Cotton Candy was there at the party twirlin' and swirlin' and creating such a fun, sugar-filled time for the kids (and kids alike). She even had cotton candy cones that looked like Star Wars light sabers and blinked!

Cake

Now, I know it's not a birthday party, but every party deserves a little cake, am I right? But since this was no ordinary party, I couldn't have just any old cake! I opted for this really cool Popcorn Cake by Popped Passion. It was fun, unique, and great for people who don't have a huge sweet tooth. I even put it on this cake stand to fancy it up a bit!

Drinks

Now, what to drink? For the kids, I opted for mini water bottles and Capri Suns. They were easy for me to just put in an ice chest (aka "Under the Sea") with some ice and the kids can open them themselves. For the adults, they had the option of the tiny water bottles or the "Mad Hatter's Iced Tea" - aka Sweet Tea - a Southern girl's party staple served in this easy to use beverage holder.

A Disney World Favorite

Last but not least, I needed the ultimate Disney World sweet treat - Mickey Bars! I found these classic Disney World ice cream treats at Target and they were the perfect "wow factor" food item I was looking for! Unfortunately, my idea of keeping them frozen during the duration of the event by putting them in a rolling cooler packed with dry ice in the bottom and regular ice on top didn't work out so well and they were all completely melted (stupid Texas summer heat!). But, if you were having this party at your home, you shouldn't have trouble at all keeping them frozen in your freezer!Of course, you have to have something eat on and with, and I knew I was going to need to supplement the amount of plates, napkins, and cups that Disney sent me, so I went to Dollar Tree and got these navy blue napkins, plates, and pink paper cups. In order to make them a little more "Disney", I bought these Mickey stickers and affixed them to the outsides of the cups. Voila! Disney! And don't forget Ariel's "Dinglehoppers" (forks).

Activities

Magic Bands & Mickey Ears.

Upon entering the party, everyone came in just like they would at the park at got their Magic Bands and Mickey Ears. Guests got to decorate their “magic bands” with stickers and parents used sharpies to write their names on their wristbands. They then got to pick out their Mickey ears or masks of choice and get on to the partying!Photos provided by Brass + Veil Creative

Dance Party.

Every party needs some tunes! And Jason from J&A Entertainment kept the party rockin' by playing everything from Mary Poppins songs to baby Shark. We might have even done the chicken dance (but you'll have to watch the video to see that one). The kids loved playing with the hula hoops and dancing away!

Ball Pit.

What kid doesn't love a ball pit? These ball pits was easy to set up, take down, and kept the kids occupied for hours! I just used these kiddie pools and filled them with these balls. Easy!

Imagination Station.

When the kids need to calm down a bit or are more on the creative side, I love setting up craft stations at parties. When I was a kid, this was my jam! I could sit and be creative for hours (and my daughter was the same way at this party...let's just say she likes glue... A LOT). There was no real plan for this station - just give kids some craft supplies and let them use their imaginations. My son and I created a couple things myself as inspiration on the table, but I wanted to let the kids embrace their inner artists on their own. I had to make it myself, but I did get my "Cinderella Castle" after all! On the table, I had crayons, markers, glue, scissors, construction paper, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, plastic beads, letter beads, and twine. It was awesome getting to see all the kids' creations!

Free Printables.

We also had these fun games that came in our boxes. The fortune teller game and the matching game were both a hit with the older kids at the party! Here's the links to them if you'd like to download them for yourself:Free Printable Disney Fortune Teller GameFree Printable Disney Matching Game

Giving Back

As part of the initial box I received from Disney, Jakks Pacific gifted me a Rapunzel doll and My Pillow Pets gave me a Mickey Pillow Pet. Instead of keeping them for myself, I decided to create a "giving back" portion of the party. Since the party was a free community event, I asked that attendees bring an unopened Disney gift that would be donated to Texas Children's Hospital as part of their Disney Team of Heroes. And boy, did these families show up BIG for kids in need! It was such a blessing to be able to not only have a great event, but also to pay it forward and give some deserving kids a little magic as well!

What's New at Walt Disney World

If you can actually make it to the park, you're in for a treat! #NowMoreThanEver, Disney is making memories for younger kids even better. There are tons of new experiences like Mickey & Minnie's Surprise Celebration (Magic Kingdom), Party with Pixar Pals (Disney's Hollywood Studios), and Festival of the Lion King (Disney's Animal Kingdom)!At Mickey & Minnie's Surprise Celebration, there's also new songs, parades, character meet and greets, and Mickey and Minnie even have some festive new outfits for the occasion!I'm really looking forward to Party with Pixar Pals at Disney's Hollywood Studios! Hollywood studios is celebrating their 30th anniversary with a new logo and fun new attractions with Mike and Sully from Monster's Inc and The Incredibles. Go inside a door into the monster world or test out your superpowers! My kids are absolutely going to love both of these exhibits! And, my personal favorite, Toy Story Mania will turn everyone into toys for a day. The park has even been updated with Forky - the new Toy Story 4 star! If your kids are elementary school age, they're sure to love the Disney Junior Dance Party with Vampirina and Doc McStuffins as well.Disney's Animal Kingdom is also feeling love and celebrating the new Lion King movie set to come out this week with a Hakuna Matata Dance Party with Timon and Rafiki (my hubby's favorite).Last but not least, Epcot has some great new additions as well. The most important being that they are retiring the nighttime show "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth." and replacing it with "Epcot Forever".At the end of it all, the kids had a blast and the parents got a break, so that's all that matters! Our magical playdate had over 40 kids attend and they even brought their parents too!If you're looking to see what promotions Walt Disney World has going on now, go to this link below:

If you'd like to see more party tips like this, follow me on Pinterest!