#disneyside – Rooting to Rise

From Head to Toe ~ Dressing with Disney Pride in Comfort

Posted on May 11, 2015May 1, 2016 by twomomsadmin

Welcome to this month’s Magical Blogorail Green loop. Today we are sharing ideas on what to wear at the Disney Parks.

Showing your disneyside when visiting Disney parks is a right of passage for all true Disney fans and is part of the great fun of every Disney lover alike.

What you wear can be a simple nod to Disney or full on Disney flair, but hours of walking in the sun or the rain can leave one a little tuckered and cranky so the more comfortable you can be the better off you’ll make it for yourself and all that are joining you!

Let’s start from the head and work our way down to the toes –

Ear ~ Ears ~ Ears – Don’t Leave Home without Them-

Whether it’s your 1^st visit or your umpteenth, wearing a pair of mouse ears is an important part of one’s park attire. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles – and if mouse ears don’t fit the bill, you can rock it out with a Goofy, Donald or Buzz hat – choose your favorite Disney character. Maybe just a simple princess tiara reflects your perfect disneyside.

If hats are not really your thing, there is an array of hair clips, elastics, and bows that will help to express your Disney pride. Check out this article from Kim and Carrie, ‘Disney Hair Accessories for Girls and Women’.

Protect those eyes in style- DisStyle-

Sunny or Cloudy it’s bright out there! Let Mickey help you protect your eyes with a pair blinged out with Mickey Heads – how much fun! Get in the spirit!

Tops to Talk about-

Picking out the best shirt to express your inner Disney can sometimes be a difficult task. I have found a great selection of tank tops and tee shirts at Walmart, Target, Hot Topic and my favorite place to shop, the disneystore online. It is important to keep in mind the season you are in because a rain poncho or jacket may be in order. No matter what the weather ALWAYS remember to apply sunscreen and pack it in your bag to reapply throughout the day.

Shorts – Skirts – Dresses, Oh My! –

Comfort is key, just as important as rockin out that Disney Pride, so grab what suits you best. It could be a cool cotton summer dress, a flowy skirt or a pair of shorts that you can wear all day long. Remember many attractions you have to step down into and then step up out of, so nothing too short or confining is best. Also it is important to consider some attractions may have water features and YOU MAY GET WET!

Happy Feet Make a much Happier You-

Choosing what to wear on your feet when visiting a Disney park is definitely different than choosing what to wear on your feet when going to the mall or the local playground at home. You will be “on your toes” all day! Support is key and just a simple pair of flip flops probably is not the best choice. Choose a shoe, sneaker, sandal, or summer shoe that is supportive to your foot. Feet can get hot and swollen or blistery and Happy Feet Make a Much Happier You!

It’s not only what’s in the Bag that Counts –

There undoubtedly will be must have items that you will want to bring to the park and depending on how many of them you have will depend on the type of bag you will want to carry. Choose a bag that is light weight and a style that can be worn most comfortably for an extended period of time. Think about using a bag that has sections that you can organize your items and is easy to get in and out of. My favorite bag to use for the parks is LeSport which come in many different Disney collections and patterns; Nicole’s favorite bag is from the Vera Bradley Disney Collection. If your favorite park bag isn’t one from a Disney Collection, bling it out with a polka dotted scarf or Disney buttons from a previous trip or maybe your favorite Disney pins.

Dressing for Disney Parks takes some thought to make sure you are cool and comfortable throughout the day but it’s tons of fun and part of what makes my visits there so much fun! Show that disneyside and disneypride!

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail Green | What to Wear at Disney Loop:

1st Stop – Heidi’s Head | We are THAT (Matchy-Matchy) Family
2nd Stop – Saving up for Disney | Comfortable (But Still Cute) Clothes to Wear at Disney
3rd Stop – Two Moms and a Mouse | From Head to Toe ~ Dressing for Disney Parks
4th Stop – Superheroes and Teacups | From Baseball Caps to Mickey Ears: What to Wear on Your Head at the Disney Parks
5th Stop – Mommy to All Girls | Dressing for Disney

Ten + 3 Reasons Why I Keep Running and how Jeff Galloway’s tips help me

Posted on April 12, 2015July 12, 2022 by twomomsadmin

As this New York winter subsides and the spring air tries to push its way back in, I and other runners begin to introduce ourselves back into the outside world. A lot of my friends have asked me why I like to run or why I continue running.

Running has inspired and impacted my life in numerous ways ~ on that note here are Ten + 3 Reasons why I Keep Running, (in no particular order).

Run Wear – a runner’s wardrobe has endless possibilities! It gives me a green light to wear sparkly, glittery, and loud skirts, shirts, and sneakers. TuTu’s are absolutely acceptable and if you are running a themed race, the sky is the limit! It’s really not appropriate to wear a sequenced skirt and rainbow knee socks to work or even the grocery store (Walmart included!) – But to run in, the more vibrant the better!

Race-cations – the first time I heard this term was when I booked a stay at Walt Disney World for the 2015 Princess Marathon Weekend with my friends. My “Soul Sister” Nicole referred to it as a race-cation, a term she picked up along the way. What is a race-cation you ask? It’s a period of time you set aside away from daily activities for the recreation of RACE-RUN-FUN! Yes, a runner’s idea of relaxation and fun includes …… running in a race!

Camaraderie – there is a community of runners who are full of positive energy, goodwill, and knowledge and are willing to share it with their fellow running companions. I had a recent conversation about running at a doctor’s office and instantly connected with the other person I was speaking with. By the end of the conversation we were making plans to meet up and run!

Race Bling – have you heard of the saying, “a diamond is a girl’s best friend”? Well race bling is a runner’s best friend and makes the hard work of crossing the finish line even sweeter. Sure the collection of t-shits most races dole out are great, but the collection of shiny colorful medals dangling from a lanyard is what we are really looking for!

Breaking Barriers – Each runner has their own reason for why they run. For me it is about testing myself, pushing my limits. It’s about setting a goal, meeting it, surpassing it and then creating a new one. Which brings me to the next reason……..

The Feeling of Strength and Accomplishment – when I set goals – meet them – and surpass them, I attain an amazing feeling of mental and physical strength. My self-confidence shoots through the roof and I believe this confidence leads to other successes in my life.

Running is a Diversion from Negative Body Image – My whole life I have tried to maintain a level of fitness, mostly to remain a certain weight or clothing size. Running changes my definition of fitness and helps to remove the stigma of negative body image. My goals have morphed from, “I must have the perfect body”, to, “I want to be strong, run strong and strive for my personal best run.” My thoughts are more focused on my set goal in miles and my reward is the positive feeling of accomplishment when it is met.

Endorphins – I am sure you have all heard of a runner’s high? A high can be experienced from any form of exercise, though I will tell you I have experienced it more solely when running or from the completion of a run. For me endorphins coupled with my above listed reasons of, ‘Breaking Barriers’ and ‘Feeling of Strength and Accomplishment’, create the ultimate runner’s high. When I have finished a run or a race I entered, I feel like I am on top of the world for the rest of the day; it is truly a wonderful feeling and is what keeps me coming back for more!

Makes me Feel Alive! – Running makes my inner-self shine brighter! I was told that when I speak about running I beam, what an awesome compliment! When I am running in the open air, that “on top of the world” feeling I mentioned above, comes from feelings of strength, empowerment, and peace. When something enhances my total being in such a positive manner of course I want to continue doing it!

Happiness – running truly makes me a happier more fulfilled person. It has become part of who I am, “I am a runner.” I love the way that sounds and feels. The definition of happiness is, “a state of well-being and contentment: joy, b: a pleasurable or satisfying experience”. That pretty much sums it up for me! Running may not be for you, it might not make you feel as happy as it does me, but I encourage you to find some sort of physical activity that makes you feel happy- go ahead – get out there and find your happy!

The Only Time my Mind is Clear – All day my mind is going at high speeds with things I need to do now, later and much later. When I set my feet on the pavement and begin traveling, it puts my brain to rest. It is like a form of meditation. I become focused on the sound of my heart beat, my breathing, and the beauty of the outside world that is surrounding me.

Inspiration – I was inspired to run almost exactly one year ago and now I see others inspired to run from watching my experiences. My daughter has seen me set goals and stick to them which motivated her to join our local Girls on the Run program. It is a wonderful feeling to inspire others to begin their own run journey!

Supporting my Community and other Causes – runDisney events are awesome! I had the pleasure of running in the 2015 Princess Marathon Weekend in Walt Disney World and I look forward to running in endless runDisney events. That being said, there is something equally as wonderful running races in and around your own community. Many of these races I have run were to support causes near and dear to either my heart or the hearts of friends and family members. Who knows, maybe you can inspire a friend or family member to run with you!

There you have it! My Ten + 3 reasons why I keep running; honestly I could come up with another ten!

In closing I want to say a word about inspiration. To be inspired or to find inspiration within something can be life changing. But I have learned something important I want to add to that ~

To not idly wait for inspiration, but to already be engaged in what ever I am doing in life, so when it does find me I am amidst ingenuity and already in motion toward a new journey of success~

To continue on my journey of Why I Keep Running, I follow –

Jeff Galloway Blogger Tips

Training and Motivation Tips

by Olympian Jeff Galloway
www.runinjuryfree.com

Why do we get injured?

1. Be aware of irritation of weak links.

The Key Weak Links are body parts where my runners tend to experience injuries are these: Knees – Feet -Calf – Achilles -Hip – Glute/piriformis/sciaticia

But the body parts that YOU need to be aware of are the sites where you are injured or suffer more aches and pains.

So if you’re sensitive to the first indication of irritation in these areas and take immediate action it’s possible to avoid injury.

2. Stress buildup due to the way we train.

Training schedule is too intense-not enough rest between stress.
Adverse Training Components-speed is too fast or has too much, too soon.
Running form-too long a stride, forward lean, bouncing too high off the ground.

So staying focused on the way one runs and following these guidelines, can often allow runners to maintain a manageable increase without injury

__________________________________________________

Top 5 ways to avoid stress buildup-and avoid injuries

1. Take walk breaks more frequently, and run shorter run segments

2. Form: shorter stride, feet low to the ground

3. Slower long runs, with more walk breaks

4. Avoid Stretching

5. Be careful when running speed sessions

My Wintry Day Valentine Challenge

Posted on February 2, 2015April 24, 2016 by twomomsadmin

Welcome to the next stop on Blogorail Yellow. Today we are discussing creating a #Disneyside Valentine’s party from odds and ends found around the house!

It is a blustery, wintry day here in the Empire State and I am trapped indoors. I have lots I could do to keep busy, but doing dishes and cleaning out closets doesn’t sound like much fun. I was thinking how my family and I could celebrate Valentine’s Day, when I received a phone call from my parents inviting us to their house for a small gathering. Now…. how can I sneak a little Disney flair into the party without completely taking it over, not everyone is as enthused with the Mouse as I am. Going out to the store to purchase party items is out of the question with this weather, so I started gathering craft items, scraps from previous projects and party supplies I had lying around the house. Here is my challenge, to create a #Disneyside Valentine’s party fit for adults and children with only the items I have available in my house……. and without completely annoying my family. One day they will all come around and enjoy the Magical Mouse as much as I do!

Onto the finished product~

Before we get to the decor first let me share a couple games I put together to enhance my family’s evening of fun. I Disneyfied the Left/Right game using Cinderella’s story and a small plastic shoe (glass slipper) as the item to be passed around. Here is my Cinderella Left/Right tale:

Cinderella LEFT for the ball…… the coachman knew the RIGHT directions and turned LEFT onto the RIGHT road. Prince Charming was RIGHT in the middle of the room and asked for Cinderella’s LEFT hand and led her RIGHT to the dance floor. She knew he was the RIGHT guy for her as he danced with her RIGHT around the room. The hands of the clock moved to the RIGHT and struck mid-night, so she LEFT the castle running down the stairs and LEFT her shoe behind. The carriage LEFT the castle in a hurry and went RIGHT down the path and into the woods. Prince Charming’s soldiers LEFT the castle and stormed RIGHT into the woods after the carriage. Midnight struck and the carriage turned RIGHT into a pumpkin and LEFT Cinderella behind. The Prince sent the Duke RIGHT out to find Cinderella. Cinderella had run RIGHT up to her room and her stepmother locked her door and LEFT the key in her pocket. The Duke knocked RIGHT on Lady Tremaine’s door. The stepsister’s sat RIGHT down and put their LEFT foot out for their shoe fitting. Their feet were too big and the shoe flew RIGHT across the room. The mice got the key RIGHT out of Lady Tremaine’s pocket and raced RIGHT up to Cinderella’s room. Cinderella LEFT down the stairs and called to the Duke. He slipped the shoe RIGHT on her foot then they raced her RIGHT back to the prince. They were married RIGHT in the castle and LEFT , RIGHT away to for their honeymoon.

Our next Valentine’s amusement will be Famous Disney Couples. I wrote questions regarding Disney Duos on slips of paper and placed them in a glass jar adorned with Mickey and Minnie. Here are some of the questions:

What couple enjoys eating spaghetti together?

What couple enjoys building snowmen?

What couple has a pair of ducks as their best friends?

Onto the Disneyfied Valentine Décor, I went for a Mickey Head theme. I sought out a pattern online and printed it out to trace on construction paper. I also found these adorable little Cuties, the template is found here: Mickey and Minnie Cutie Printouts

I had red Chinese take-out party boxes left over from another gathering; at first glance they reminded me of Mickey’s pants so I drew two black ovals on them for buttons. I will fill them with pink heart shaped marshmallows and Valentine’s chocolates I have in the pantry.

Next I took a bundle of tulle saved from Rebekah’s past Princess parties to use as a swag over the doorway. I placed Mickey heads at each tied knot. Then taking strips of red streamers I taped Mickey heads vertically along the length, they can be hung on the wall in varied heights. I had a pink Chinese lantern from a past Under-the-Sea party, I attached two black construction paper ovals, making it into a Minnie head. The Valentine’s banner is alternating red and pink Mickey heads with black punch out letters spelling Happy Valentine’s Day.

I was pretty surprised how easy and quickly it all came together. At first looking at the pile of mish-mosh I felt overwhelmed but I swiftly overcame that after my first Mickey head was printed, traced and cut. I encourage you to challenge yourself next time a celebration takes place, instead of purchasing all your decorations take a look around your house and get creative!

Thank you for joining Blogorail Yellow this month. We will be back in next month with all new loops and themes. Keep checking in with our blogs in between loops to keep up to date with newest posts, photos and stories. If you are looking for Disney magic, you can make your way over to The Magical Blogorail website to see all our members and their blogs, as well as all our previous loops.

1st Stop – Disney with Babies, Toddlers, & Preschoolers – Valentine’s Day Crafts for Toddlers

2nd Stop – For the Love of Disney – Our Favorite Classroom Valentines for Preschool and Early Elementary

3rd Stop – Capturing Magical Memories – Valentine Gift Bag Toppers

4th Stop – Two Moms and a Mouse – My Wintry Day Valentine Challenge ~ How do you think I did?

A New Take on a Dream Come True ~

Posted on January 12, 2015April 29, 2016 by twomomsadmin

Welcome to the next stop on Magical Blogorail Red. Today we are discussing runDisney.

To begin a journey, first you must be inspired. My rundisney journey began just that way.

As most little girls, I dreamt of becoming a Disney princess, Cinderella encouraged that inspiration at age 2. But life settled in and the realization of becoming a princess was washed away with another more realistic career choice. But that dream stayed tucked away in my heart along with Cinderella’s word’s, “If you keep on believing the dream that you wish will come true”

(My 1988 Junior Prom, I was channeling Cinderella)

Fast forward to the present where that dream has evolved into a new outlook ~ A runDisney Princess!

Last year my bestest Disney pal Nicole ran her first runDisney event, The Royal Family 5K 2014. As I watched for her race updates on that cold dreary New York winter day, seeds of inspiration were instilled in my innermost thoughts ~ Disney ~ Princess ~ runDisney ~ runDisney Princess!

When Nicole crossed that finish line she knew right then and there this would not be a one-time event for her; runDisney inspired her to become very focused on her training. She later went on to run 5 other races, 3 of which were runDisney events.

(Royal Family 5K 2014) (Everest Challenge 2014 )

(Tower of Terror 10 Miler)

Inspirited by her accomplishments, achieved goals, my insane love of Disney, Mickey and of course, the chance to become a PRINCESS, I too decided to become a runDisney princess! I set out to train for the 2015 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, (minus the half marathon). My focus would be the Disney Princess 5K and the Disney Enchanted 10K.

Having an opportunity to run through a Disney park dressed as a princess alongside my best pal was the initial fuel to motivate me to suit up and run in the mornings. But as I set personal goals and pushed myself to achieve them I began to run for other reasons as well. Pushing myself through limitations I unknowingly set became intoxicating. Along the way I entered a few local races for some experience, adorning my Mickey ears at each one, proudly representing my Disneyside.

But it was not until my first local race that I had the chance to feel the exhilaration of crossing a Finish Line. Pushing myself “to Infinity and Beyond!” helped me to realize how strong a person I really was, physically and mentally, it renewed my sense of confidence and zeal in life.

We can pass that inspiration ~

That first race I ran, Rebekah watched me cross the finish line; I believe she gained much more than the inspiration to run. She has watched me challenge and push myself and succeed in my runDisney goals. It has shown her that when you put your mind to something, you can achieve it.

She asked to sign up for a program called Girls on the Run, which taught them much more than how to train for a 5K; they learned the importance of being joyful, healthy and confident. The program concluded with a 5K and I got to cross another finish line, this time with my Rebekah. She was so proud of herself and of course – so was I!

Nicole passed along a little inspiration as well. She and Jordan entered a local Turkey trot race.

All these accomplishments were inspired by runDisney~

I believe runDisney has given people hope. Hope that they can weather a storm, persevere through life’s challenges, and make a positive change for a happier ending to their story. After all that is what Disney represents, hope. Hope for triumphs in life no matter what the circumstances. Turning an “I can’t” into “I can”, and challenges into victories.

My coronation day is coming soon, February 20^th-21^st are my race dates for the 2015 Princess Half Marathon Weekend. My love for Disney, Mickey and a deep desire to become a Princess has carried me through to this point. Inspiration is the key to a successful journey and runDisney has fulfilled every bit of that and I haven’t even reached the end!

Thank you for joining Magical Blogorail Red this month. We will be back in next month with all new loops and themes. Keep checking in with our blogs in between loops to keep up to date with newest posts, photos and stories. If you are looking for more Disney magic, you can make your way over to The Magical Blogorail website to see all our members and their blogs, as well as all our previous loops.

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Top Ten Christmas Wishes This Mom Wants Under Her Tree

Posted on December 9, 2014April 24, 2016 by twomomsadmin

The anticipation of Christmas gets stronger as each December day passes by. The spirit of the season inspires children to be on their best behavior and adults recapture their belief in Christmas magic. As the dawn of Christmas morning breaks and awakens the sleepy eyes of adolescents around the world, squeals of excitement will be heard as they dash out to see what Santa has left them under the tree.

As this holiday approaches and my belief in Christmas magic becomes aplenty, I begin to ponder on what I would like to find under the tree when I dash out with squeals of excitement too.

Dear Santa, Here is my Top Ten Disney Christmas wishes ~

10 ~ A pair of Mickey Mouse Pajamas. What respectable Disney Loving Gal would wear anything else for long winter’s nap? Kohls

9 ~ A Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker. This is a gift that will keep on giving, not only for me but my family as well! Kohls

8 ~ A Disney Christmas Tree Ornament is always a must, the more Mickey the merrier! disneystore.com

7 ~ This cute and cozy sweater will help to make my holiday more merry and also help to show off my #Disneyside ! disneystore.com

6 ~ I have become a huge fan of Alex and Ani bracelets. A true classic princess by heart, this Cinderella bangle is a perfect fit for my wrist. disneystore.com

5 ~ I have coveted a Disney Dooney and Bourke pocketbook for years, but the price tag has prevented me from clicking “add to bag” while browsing on disneystore.com Maybe, just maybe, dear Santa will have a deep discount coupon to make this appear under my tree!

4 ~ A Mickey Mouse watch, doesn’t everyone want one? disneystore.com

3 ~ Price Phillip. Yes you read right, why wouldn’t I want a Disney Prince under my tree? It was a toss-up between Phillip and Eric, but again I am a classic princess type of gal, so a classic prince won out. If Santa has trouble dragging him away from Aurora I will take the doll- if I have to. disneystore.com

2 ~ A Magic Band loaded with a 1 week length of stay and pre-booked with Fast Passes is PERFECT! Mouse Ear Magic

1 ~ My very most wanted gift on my list is for the dreams and wishes of my heart to come true. They are dreams and wishes not only for me, but for my family and friends as well. Tis the season of giving and part of this giving is the gift of my love and prayers for those that surround me.

Merry Christmas to all, not only now but all the year through!

~Maureen

Quick Tip Tuesday ~ Personalizing Your Disney Resort Room Window

Posted on August 5, 2014April 29, 2016 by twomomsadmin

Want to make your #Disneyside shine even brighter?!

Put your own person touch on your resort room; show everyone who your favorite character or princess is, add lights, window decals, Disney plush.

If it’s a holiday, incorporate that into your decorations as well.

How about creating your own handmade Disney Décor – take a trip to your local craft store and let your imagine go!

Do you decorate your window while at your favorite Disney resort? Tell us about it!

~Maureen

Isabella’s Alice in One-Derland Party

Posted on March 31, 2014May 1, 2016 by twomomsadmin

January of 2012 I was faced with the same 1st Birthday dilemma as so many other Moms. What theme do you do for your only little girls First Birthday party? Do you go with the classic #1 balloons and decor? Choose their “favorite character” before they even know where their nose is? So for my little girl, Isabella’s first birthday I did what every 30 year old wanna be crafty Mama would do, I took it to Pinterest. My favorite of all of the themes I founnd was Winter One-Derland. Now Isabella’s birthday is in January, so the winter part did apply. However, we live in Florida. We have no winter. Not a real one anyway. So in my search I started looking at different Disney themes, and came across this adorable silhouette of our dear Alice. *LIGHTBULB!* Alice in ONE DERLAND!

I tend to be a less is more, keep it simple and classic kinda girl. So I chose 3 colors, and went from there, bright and colorful green, pink and blue. I worked with an Etsy seller, All Thats Pretty to create the art work. There were several Alice themes that were similar, but I wanted to add our color palette and turn it into One-Derland as opposed to the traditional Wonderland. All Thats Pretty was good to work with. There was a huge and I mean HUGE issue with receiving the shipment of the decorations. I actually ended up receiving them the day before the party via Fed-Ex overnight. There was a point where I thought we were going to have no decor. This was more the US Postal Service and the sellers local post office’s issue than the sellers, but as a business owner their problems turn into your problems and Amy understood that and in the end they made it right and the decor was beautiful.

I made the tissue paper poms, and the Eat Me cookies. The cake is from our favorite Tampa bakery, Alessi Bakery.

We rented a Disney Princess bounce house to keep the kiddies busy (which I somehow took zero photo’s of). We’ve used Games For Fun Party Rentals for several parties and they’ve always been awesome. Greatprices, very pleasant to do business with. We will no doubt use them again in the future.

Isabella had a One-Derful time at her first Birthday party 🙂 Its her first event showing her #Disneyside 😉

~Nicole

A Party Under the Sea!

Posted on March 6, 2014May 1, 2016 by twomomsadmin

Rebekah just celebrated her 8th birthday; planning her party is still in the works. This year she has chosen a Paris theme, so I am in the process of gathering lots of pink and black items and anything with an Eiffel Tower on it!

I started looking at her past birthday party photos reminiscing about when my baby was really still a baby. As I scanned through, I came to “Rebekah’s 7th Birthday Party -Under the Sea”, this one was my favorite! This is definitely a DYI #Disneyside birthday party. For inspiration I started searching the World Wide Web for ideas and then put my own twist on them. I found great items at Dollar tree and The Christmas Tree Shoppe, Party City and Oriental Trading. This party took place in my house so I was able to decorate the day before, which was a must because of the large amount of preparation needed.

I began lining my walls from ceiling to floor with blue and white streamers, (ocean colors) and in some areas I twisted two different colors of green to look like seaweed.

The ceiling was draped with blue and white streamers to simulate ocean waves. I hung the green streamers from the waves for a seaweed effect. If you purchase your streamers from Dollar Tree you will get a bigger bang for your buck, two in a pack. I ordered tropical fish from Oriental Trading and hung them on the ceiling, swimming in the waves 🙂

I called my couch the Sand Bar and hung an ocean scene on the wall. We used white Christmas lights behind the ocean to act as sunlight glistening in the water and wrote each girls name on a fish which was taped onto the ocean scene. Mini paper lanterns were purchased from The Christmas Tree Shoppe and used as jellyfish by hanging steamers from underneath. White and blue balloons acted as water bubbles in the ocean.

The Christmas Tree Shoppe had light-up battery operated neon colored faux pussy willow plants on clearance (I wonder why, haha). I placed them in a corner to act as coral. If you look real close to the back left you can spot them.

I created a mini grotto adorned with a photo of Prince Eric, seashells, a string of seashell lights and a basket of dinglehoppers (mini cocktail forks).

I covered the windows with blue cellophane to give the room an additional ocean-esq feel.

The party table had a light blue plastic table cloth with trimmed out brown paper to look like sand. I found these fake plants at the Dollar Tree and used them as seaweed. I placed them in florist foam cubes and covered them with green tulle, holding them in place with star fish. I placed shells, Little Mermaid confetti and green and blue glass rocks along the “sand”. Lunch was a served up for our aquatic bunch. We had sea shell pasta and star fish sandwiches (cut with a star cookie cutter), I sliced the ends of a mini hot dog, bending them outward to resemble octopus legs. Snacks included Goldfish, Swedish Fish and oyster soup crackers.

We had a face painter adorn our Birthday Girl and guests, below are a few of my favorite faces!

One of our crafts was creating foam/sand art scenes. We had colored sand, ocean confetti and stickers and jewels.

With such a great deal of decorating it didn’t leave much time for cake trimming. So I had to create something simple and fast! I used two 9 inch rounds for the bottom and a star pan for the top. The green grass was Easter candy grass and crushed graham crackers as sand.

At the end of the party we played different Disney pop versions of The Little Mermaid songs as the girls danced and played with the ocean bubbles. My goodie bags we clearanced sea themed gift bags from The Christmas Tree Shoppe, they were filled with ocean and Little Mermaid fun finds. At the end of the party the girls were told to fill their bags with the decor that adorned the party table.

I had so much fun creating and decorating this party! Now onto Paris~

~Maureen