Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream Family 4-Pack Ticket Giveaway

Disclosure: I will receive media passes to this event. No other compensation has been received. All views expressed are my own. 

Oh my goodness, we are so excited - Disney on Ice is headed back to Kansas City at the end of the month!

We've been so excited for this particular ice show for awhile, because my daughter is obsessed with Rapunzel. She cannot wait to see Rapunzel live and in person (we're hoping she waves at us again).

While my daughter is referring to the upcoming event as "the Rapunzel show," Dare to Dream also features many other famous and well-loved Disney characters - including Moana, Elsa, Anna, Belle, Cinderella, and Mickey and Minnie! It's said to be an expedition across raging seas and snow-covered mountains in this action-packed extravaganza.

Here's some info from the official press release regarding the show:

Celebrate what’s possible as five Disney heroines spark the courage inside us all in Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream! In her Disney On Ice debut, see how far Moana will go in an epic adventure with demigod, Maui, to save her island and discover her true identity. Join Belle as she fearlessly befriends the enchanted castle staff and reveals the Beast’s gentleness. Experience Anna’s devotion to her sister, Elsa, on her life-changing journey to stop an eternal winter. Explore with Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder, Cinderella and friends from around the Disney Kingdom as they find the heart and determination to overcome obstacles and make their dreams come true. Journey with Mickey and Minnie to uncover why no goal is too big when we find the strength to shape our own destiny at Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream!

This show will play March 28-April 1 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City!

You can purchase Disney on Ice tickets now, plus make sure you are following along on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest info!

Here are the upcoming show times:

• Wednesday, March 28: 7 p.m. 
• Thursday, March 29: 7 p.m.  
• Friday, March 30: 10:30 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.  
• Saturday, March 31: 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m. 
• Sunday, April 1: 3 p.m. 

Giveaway

One person will win a Family 4-pack of tickets to Disney on Ice at the Sprint Center. Winner will receive vouchers which can be redeemed at the box office for tickets to any of the following performances: 
• Wednesday, March 28, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, March 29, 7 p.m.
• Friday, March 30, 10:30 a.m.
• Friday, March 30, 3 p.m.

This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 24 hours to respond or prize will be forfeited.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well. All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email. Good luck!

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Disclosure: All opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Disney on Ice: Dream Big Family 4-Pack Ticket Giveaway

Disclosure: I will receive media passes to this event. No other compensation has been received. All views expressed are my own. 

Oh my goodness - Kansas City readers, get ready to DREAM BIG - because Disney on Ice is headed to town!

We can't wait to see this show - it's been about a year and a half since my family has been to a Disney on Ice show and we are all so excited for this one. It's just about two weeks away!

Enter a world where adventure is awaiting at Disney On Ice presents Dream Big. Join the Disney Princesses as they learn that courage leads the way. Then watch Anna, Elsa and Olaf from Disney’s Frozen discover that true love is the greatest magic of all. Believing is just the beginning when Disney On Ice presents Dream Big skates into Kansas City!

I'm expecting lots of magic to unfold - both on the ice and probably also in my four-year-old daughter's eyes as she sees her favorite princesses come to life! My kids usually enjoy dressing up to attend Disney shows, and I'm excited to see which characters they want to portray this time. Is it weird for mom to dress up too? At the rate I'm going, I don't think I'll ever outgrow Disney - and I'm perfectly fine with that!

This spectacular show will play September 14 - 17 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City!

You can purchase Disney on Ice tickets now, plus make sure you are following along on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest info!

Here are the upcoming show times:


Thursday, September 14 - 7 PM
Friday, September 15 - 7 PM
Saturday, September 16 - 11 AM, 3 PM. and 7 PM
Sunday, September 17 - 1 PM and 5 PM

Giveaway

One person will win a Family 4-pack of tickets to Disney on Ice at the Sprint Center on September 14 at 7:00 PM. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 24 hours to respond or prize will be forfeited.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well. All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email. Good luck!

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Disclosure: All opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic {Kansas City Sprint Center Review}

Disclosure: I received media passes to this event. No other compensation has been received. All views expressed are my own. 

Every year, I count down until it's time for Disney on Ice to return to Kansas City! This year's show, 100 Years of Magic, promised to be a real treat - and it did not disappoint. The kids were beyond excited to see "the Mickey ice skating show" again, as they remembered how much fun they had last year at Passport to Adventure.

Due to traffic in Kansas City, we missed the first few minutes of the show. That was a bummer, but the good news was - everything was still incredibly exciting and no one ended up feeling sad that we were late! Thank goodness for non-stop action.

The first half of the show features Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pinocchio, Nemo (and friends), Beauty and the Beast, Princesses, and Frozen. My kids have talked about Nemo and Crush (who was gigantic and awesome) a lot while remembering their favorite parts of the show.

The Beauty and the Beast segment was incredibly condensed, but I was happy to at least see part of my favorite story featured. After Belle and her prince skated together with the familiar tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, the rest of the Disney princesses appeared one at a time with their princes for some magical couple skating! Featured in this section were Cinderella, Ariel, Tiana, Jasmine, Snow White, and Rapunzel. My daughter had chosen a Rapunzel dress to wear for the show - so she was pretty excited to see Rapunzel and Flynn out on the ice.

The second half of Act I was a short version of Frozen. This is not my favorite Disney film, but I know that due to its popularity it's a wise choice for a traveling ice show. It was very well done, and some of the special effects had me scratching my head wondering how they were accomplished (and I have worked tech in theatre).

The falling snow was pretty epic and the story moved along quickly. My daughter was a little worried that there might be a giant snow monster on the ice and she was hesitant to watch at times because of this.

After intermission, we were treated to even more stories. I felt that this Disney on Ice show did a great job of covering a lot of famous tales. I preferred this style to some of the other shows we have seen in the past, where only a handful of shows are presented.

Act II featured Aladdin, Mulan, Toy Story, and The Lion King. Each of these scenes was entertaining, but Mulan was probably my favorite.

The kids have been talking about the show endlessly and I know that next year, they'll be thrilled to return to Disney on Ice again! I can't wait to hear which show is coming next!

As if the magic of the whole event was not good enough, at the very very end when the cast had finished skating, Rapunzel and Flynn ended up right in front of us. My daughter is convinced that Rapunzel waved right at her - and this has basically made her life. Thanks, Disney, for making dreams come true once again.

You can purchase Disney on Ice tickets now, plus make sure you are following along on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest info!

Here are all of the remaining show times this weekend:

Friday, March 25th - 3 PM, & 7 PM
Saturday, March 26th - 11 AM, 3 PM, & 7 PM
Sunday, March 27th - 3 PM

Disclosure: Thanks to Feld Entertainment for providing the passes. All opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic Kansas City Ticket Giveaway

Disclosure: I will receive media passes to this event. No other compensation has been received. All views expressed are my own. 

It's one of my favorite times of the year... Disney on Ice is coming to Kansas City! The show is 100 Years of Magic and it features more than 60 characters from over 18 Disney shows. We are so excited!

I love watching the Disney princesses the most, but I think the kids will be happy to see just about every character. We've been to Disney on Ice annually for several years and it is always a fantastic production. Check out my review from Passport to Adventure last year.

Join the celebration as more than 60 of Disney’s unforgettable characters from 18 beloved stories come to life in Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic!  You’ll be captivated by the one and only Mickey Mouse, the irresistible Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio and many Disney Princesses.  Be thrilled by exciting moments from The Lion King; Mulan; and Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Toy Story films; in a skating spectacular filled with magical Disney moments you’ll remember forever as Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic!

You can purchase Disney on Ice tickets now, plus make sure you are following along on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest info!

Here are the upcoming show times:

Thursday, March 24th - 7 PM
Friday, March 25th - 10:30 AM, 3 PM, & 7 PM
Saturday, March 26th - 11 AM, 3 PM, & 7 PM
Sunday, March 27th - 3 PM

Due to popular demand, Disney on Ice has just added a 3 PM show on Friday, March 25! Snag your tickets while you can!

Giveaway

One person will win a 4-pack of tickets to Disney on Ice at the Sprint Center on March 24 at 7:00pm. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 24 hours to respond or prize will be forfeited.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well. All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: Thanks to Feld Entertainment for providing the passes. All opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

"Let It Glow" Frozen Valentines + Free Printable

Need a unique classroom Valentine idea? Wow the class and Let it GLOW with these easy DIY Frozen Glow Stick Valentines. They're like little magical snow queen wands! They only take a few minutes to put together and they're not expensive. Perfect for last-minute crafters like myself.

"Let It Glow" Frozen Valentines
Supplies Needed

-Blue Glow Stick Bracelets
-Snowflakes (I had wooden ones in my craft stash, but you could make them from paper or even buy stickers or foam pieces)
-Hole Punch
-Scissors
-Hot Glue Gun & Glue
-"Let It Glow" Printable - download it here.

Instructions

1. Print your valentines. There are six to a sheet.

2. Use hole punch to punch out the black circles. Place a glow stick through each valentine.

3. Use hot glue to attach the snowflakes to the top of each glow stick.

There you have it! This little fixer-upper project takes just a few minutes and will delight a whole classroom. It may also possibly cause your child's teacher some mental exhaustion from the subsequent belting of the entire soundtrack of a certain popular film beloved by children of all ages. Oh well. If you're volunteering in class that day, just make sure that you sing along! Or don't - depending on whether or not you value your relationship with the teacher.

My kids always love glow sticks, and I always hate holidays that only involve candy. This is a relatively inexpensive option for a candy-free valentine treat - and it's easy enough that kids can help put it together for their friends!

The snowflakes work well since Valentine's Day happens to fall in winter, but there's no reason why you couldn't make glow stick snowflake wands any time of the year! My kids loved playing with these.

What kind of valentines are your kids giving out this year? 

Inside Out Joy Paper Bag Puppet Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #InsideOutEmotions #CollectiveBias

My kids love Inside Out and were so excited when I told them that the movie had been released on DVD. They've been clamoring to watch it again for months, so it's easy to say the level of joy of our home about this release has been high!

We talk about emotions a lot, so I've loved having this movie to help open up that conversation with the kids. We were excited to stop by Walmart and pick up a copy of the DVD, and some fun new toys from TOMY to help celebrate the film's release!

If you have a preschooler, you probably know that once they decide they like something, they develop small obsessions over certain characters and stories! My kids love being involved in craft projects, so we took the opportunity to put together an easy paper bag Joy puppet with supplies that we mostly already had in our craft stash.

Joy from Inside Out Paper Bag Puppet 
Supplies Needed

-White Lunch Sack
-Sparkly Blue and Yellow Paper (I had a 12x12 sheet of each, but didn't need all of it)
-1 Yellow Pipe Cleaner
-2 Large Googly Eyes
-Star or Starburst Stickers
-Giant Yellow Pom-Pom
-Blue Paper (for mouth, optional)
-Adhesive
-Scissors

Joy from Inside Out Paper Bag Puppet 
Instructions

1. Cut a piece of yellow sparkly paper into an 8.5"x7.75" rectangle. On the back, make a pencil mark just over 1.5" from each edge, at the top. Trim each side from the marks to the bottom at an angle, creating the curve of Joy's dress. Attach dress just under the bag fold.

2. Cut Pipe Cleaner in half. Use tape to attach one arm on each side of the bag. Make sure you tape inside the crease and not on the back of the bag.

3. Decorate the dress with starbursts or star stickers, if desired.

4. Add a yellow "memory" sphere. For mine, I found the biggest, most glittery pom-pom I had and stuck the pipe cleaner arms into it to hold it in place.

5. Okay, this part is tricky but bear with me! If I can freehand cut hair, so can you! Cut a 5.75"x5" rectangle. On one of the 5.75" sides, cut multiple jagged edges (Joy's hair over her forehead). Round off the top, but make sure to include a pointy spike of hair on one side! Attach to the bag with your adhesive.

6. Attach giant eyes with adhesive.

7. Cut a 4 1/2"x1 1/2" rectangle from the plain blue paper. Round off one side in the shape of a mouth and attach under the paper bag flap with adhesive.

And there you have it! These would be cute for a birthday party - let kids make a puppet of the character whose emotion they feel the most. Hopefully at a party, you would have a lot of kids wanting to make Joy!

You can grab your own copy of Inside Out at Walmart. Have you seen the movie yet? How do you talk with your kids about their emotions?

DIY Plush Toy Backpack Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #InsideOutEmotions #CollectiveBias

Have you seen Inside Out, the new animated film from Disney/Pixar, yet? It's so cute! I never would have thought that a movie about feelings could have such a profound impact on people! I have no issue admitting that I cried through most of the movie. I mean - those pigtails on baby Riley? Break my heart already.

We talk about feelings a lot in our house anyway, and Inside Out opened more avenues of discussion for that. I wanted to come up with a tangible way for the kids to interact with their emotions, so I decided to make a DIY Plush Toy Backpack so that they could carry some emotions along with them wherever they go!

First of all, we had to gather up some emotions to carry in the backpack, so we headed off to Walmart, where we found these adorable exclusive Inside Out plush toys!

It was quite the debate by Lincoln and Addie on which emotions were the best. They're all so cute!

Ultimately, the favorites chosen were Anger (by Lincoln) and Sadness (by Addie). Addie has developed an obsession with "her Sadness" and carts it with her just about everywhere she goes.

Once we had our emotions in hand, I set out to create a backpack so that they kids could keep their emotions with them at all times! It's a great way to keep them aware of how they always have feelings - and that it's okay to have those feelings!

DIY Plush Toy Backpack Supplies Needed
-11x11" fabric square, cut on fold (so actually 22"x11")
-10" tall x 11" wide fabric square, also cut on fold (so 20"x11") - coordinating color (this is the lining)
-Roll of coordinating 1.5" ribbon
-Velcro
-17" piece of elastic
-Sewing supplies

1. Cut your fabric out. I folded my fabric and cut an 11" square on the fold. Then I folded the lining and cut a 10x11" piece on the fold.

2. Sew up the sides of each square, leaving the top open. Use a 1/2" seam. Trim seams.

3. Attach Ribbon Straps to Outer Fabric Pouch. This part was a little tricky. It may have been easier to do this before sewing the edges together, but I opted to wait until it was already done (in other words, I got ahead of myself). I used a 26.5" piece of ribbon for the lower band (which goes around the waist) and two 19" pieces for the shoulder straps. You may have to tweak this based on how you decide to finish the ends (see below) and what size your child is.

To attach the lower strap, I pinned the ribbon on top of one piece of the pocket and tacked it in place with my machine. It was tough to get the fabric under the needle without bunching or catching the back of the pocket - it may be easier to just hand stitch it.

For the shoulder straps, I sewed the ribbon onto the back of the outer fabric pocket about 2-3" below the raw edge.

4. Attach Velcro. I used three sets of velcro pieces - to attach the waistband sides to each other, and each of the shoulder straps to the waistband. I think the photos do a better job of illustrating how I did this than my trying to explain it!

5. Turn the outer fabric pouch inside out. Insert into the inner (lining) pouch with wrong sides together. Photo above illustrates this. The outer pouch has been cut larger than the inner pouch, so there should be some fabric sticking out of the top.

6. Turn outer fabric under 1/8" and iron. 

7. Fold outer fabric over lining and stitch, leaving small opening. Insert elastic into opening/casing, stitch ends together, then whipstitch opening.

8. Finish Ribbon Edges. Make sure that the backpack is appropriately sized for your child, then finish the ribbon edges. Maybe it would be easiest to do this before adding the velcro, but that wasn't my method.

You can fold the ends under and stitch them down, use something like Fray Check, or use a candle to singe the edges of the ribbon. I did a combination of these ideas.

And that's it! Make any adjustments needed to the ribbon length before you attach them, okay? You'll thank me later.

Better visual of where all the velcro went!

The last step is to drop your emotion in and take him or her for a spin!

Lincoln showed a wide range of emotions over trying on the backpack, almost the full range of joy, anger, disgust, fear, and sadness. Ultimately, I think he liked it, but I might have asked him to stand for a few too many photos!

While in use.

It didn't bother Lincoln, but the ribbon straps tend to ride up on his belly when he is wearing it, making the backpack sag a little. I'll be tweaking the instructions a little when I make Addie's backpack - hopefully I'll find a solution and will update the post if I do!

This project took me about two hours to make from start to finish. What emotion would people see on display if you had to carry your feelings around in a backpack like this?

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy.