The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique. – Walt Disney

Walt Disney said lots of meaningful things but I think this is one we can all take to heart. Walt Disney was certainly unique. I hope we can all spread some happiness in celebration of his 112th birthday. Happiness squared.

Goofy Quote: Here’s another great quote. This one is worth taping on your bathroom mirror.

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. – Walt Disney

 

Image from Disney Insider

I don’t know what to think about the movie Maleficent. She is my favorite Disney villain because she is really evil. In Sleeping Beauty she causes major havoc because of a small slight. This always worked for me. Prince Phillip is good and noble and Maleficent is mean and evil. I like knowing where the lines are drawn.

Now my favorite villain is getting her own movie and we’ll learn how she became evil, mean, wicked, bad, and nasty (thank you, Smothers Brothers for the adjectives.) Angelina Jolie is playing Maleficent and I am sure she will to do an amazing job.

But I am torn. I liked Maleficent being a villain. I don’t need to know how she became one. Plus, unless they are changing the basic story we know she doesn’t live in the end. So either they are changing the end or this is going to be hard to watch. Or maybe we feel her inevitable death is justified. I just don’t know what I think about all this.

There have been other movies where the bad guy takes the lead role. Wicked may be the most popular, but Star Wars Episodes I, II, and III basically tell the story of the fall of Anakin Skywalker and the rise of Darth Vader. I haven’t seen or read Wicked but I really hated the first three Star Wars movies.

If you would like to watch the trailer for Maleficent click here. I loved the trailer and thought everyone was playing their roles perfectly. However, I learned nothing about how the story is going to be told so I still don’t know what to think. It is not coming out until May 2014 so I’ll have time to learn more. I wish Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather (she was always my favorite) could give me a hint before then.  Happiness squared.

Goofy Tip: Is Maleficent your favorite Disney villain? Unlike a lot of  Disney villians that only come to the parks occasionally you can see Maleficent most nights at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. She is the live-action villain in Fantasmic! that Mickey Mouse has to battle at the end of the show. My favorite part of Fantasmic! is when she turns from human to dragon. It is really impressive. I am glad the good guys win.

Image from www.spoonful.com

Daylight savings time has come to an end for most of us. What I notice most is how it is dark before six o’clock. And the evenings are getting longer every day. It is time to find fun indoor activities that allow you to stay warm and keep the boredom at bay.

Since Thanksgiving is only two weeks away I thought this would be a good time to make some decorations for the season. Christmas may be in all the stores but wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate your house. Instead make some fun fall decorations featuring your favorite Disney characters.

These printables by spoonful.com have a great variety of ideas. One night you could make a fun Mickey scarecrow and the next you could color a Winnie-the-Pooh picture. By Thanksgiving you will have the best decorated house in town. My favorite idea is the silhouette lanterns. You can choose between Bambi, Winnie the Pooh, and Lady and the Tramp (guess which one I am picking). Place a battery-operated tea light inside it and you’ll have a lovely decoration to keep the darkness away. Happiness squared.

Goofy Food: When you are not making fun crafts why not head to the kitchen and make something with the perfect autumn ingredient…pumpkin! Spoonful.com has over forty pumpkin recipes for you to try. I can’t decide which one to make first.

Image from Disney Parks Blog

It’s Friday and the weekend is hiding right around the corner. What are your plans? I want to sit on the couch with a warm cup of cocoa and a good movie. But I’m not going to. I am going to go for a run.

Now I would be the first to admit that I don’t run because I like it. I run because I like to do races and I do races because I love the medals. RunDisney has released the new designs for the 2014 Princess  and Tinker Bell Half Marathons. I already have two Princess medals and I love the new designs. I won’t be running these races until 2015 but just looking at these medals makes me want to run.

So go outside this weekend. Run, walk, or hike, but spend time exercising in the great outdoors. And if a medal isn’t enough to motivate you  think of how delicious that cocoa will taste when you head back inside to the couch. Happiness squared.

Goofy Tip: You may not be a runner, but I know you can walk, and if you can walk then you can do a race. Jeff Galloway, the official coach for runDisney promotes a run/walk pace for all races. By following his method anyone can finish a race and earn a medal.

Image from www.spoonful.com

My favorite Halloween candy, one that I don’t feel guilty about eating into November, is candy corn. Do you like candy corn? It is a very happy candy but usually I just eat it out of the bag. Thanks to spoonful.com I now have lots of tasty candy corn creations to try. Some of these desserts just look like candy corn while others actually use them as an ingredient. I’ll be sharing these treats with my friends. If you want to do the same click here to see all the candy corn goodness. Happiness squared.

Goofy Craft: If you want a cute way to give someone candy corn as a treat check out this fun craft. The photo shows the bags made into vampires but you could just as easily make them into ghosts or witches or everyone’s favorite mouse.

If you need help learning to talk like a pirate than you obviously need to watch Pirates of the Caribbean tonight. This series of movies has such a variety of pirates that you will have no problem learning to talk like one.

It can be hard to talk like a pirate in everyday conversation so I am including some phrases you can use that will work in lots of situations. Try them out tomorrow and remind all your friends to talk like a pirate so that they’ll be really bad eggs, just like you. Happiness squared.

“I’m disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Means “no”.” Barbossa

“Savvy?” Jack Sparrow

“Pirate.” This is said by many pirates and is a great response when someone is shocked by something you have done.

“Curse you for breathin’ ya slack-jawed idiot.” Mr. Gibbs

“Me? I’m dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It’s the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they’re going to do something incredibly… stupid.” Jack Sparrow

“Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.” Jack Sparrow

“Wind in the sails. Wind in the sails.” Mr. Cotton’s parrot (they think he means yes)

“You’re off the edge of the map, mate. Here there be monsters.” Barbossa (this is my favorite quote and I use it often, not just on “Talk Like a Pirate Day”)

“You’re pirates. Hang the code, and hang the rules. They’re more like guidelines anyway.” Elizabeth

“Haul on the main brace, make ready the guns… and run out the sweeps.” Barbossa (he definitely sounds like a pirate)

“Strike your colors, ya bloomin’ cockroaches.” Barbossa (another good pirate quote)

Goofy Tip: Why just talk like a pirate when you can dress up like one, too? I am not suggesting a full pirate outfit, although it you can it would be awesome. No, I am just suggesting you dress with some pirate flair. Maybe a great pair of pirate boots, or a blousy shirt with a scarf for a belt. Use your imagination and have fun. Drink up me hearties, yo ho!

Image from Wikipedia

Roald Dahl, the author of such wonderful books as James and the Giant Peach, Danny Champion of the World, and Matilda, is my favorite children’s author. He was born on September 13, 1916. He led a very exciting life and worked with many fascinating people. One of those people was Walt Disney.

Roald Dahl is known for his whimsical stories, but the first children’s story he wrote was done for Walt Disney Productions. In 1943 he wrote a story about gremlins that sabotage British fighter planes and Walt Disney was going to turn it into a movie. The project eventually fell apart, but I think it led to Roald Dahl creating so many other timeless children’s stories.

I think there is a great lesson here. He could have given up on writing when this project was abandoned, but instead he tried again. I am so glad he did. Walt Disney had the same experience. He could have given up on cartoons when he lost Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Instead he kept drawing and gave the world Mickey Mouse. I am so glad he did.

The message is clear. If you really want to do something you should not let setbacks or total failure stop you. This message rings loud and clear in so many of Roald Dahl’s books. So, I declare today “Perseverance Day” in honor of his birthday. I hope we all celebrate by trying something again. Happiness squared.

A Goofy Quote: (Roald Dahl said this, but I imagine Walt Disney would have thought the same thing.)

“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” Roald Dahl

Image from www.spoonful.com

For some kids school started yesterday. Others have been back at school for a few weeks. Either way the school year is here and the initial excitement is quickly wearing off. There is only one first day of school. The rest of the days are mostly the same.

Nothing can be done about the repetitiveness of school. But school can be more fun if you bring supplies and lunches that are fun. Why not dress up your pencils and your textbooks? Why not bring a lunch that makes you laugh? Spoonful.com has a bunch of crafts and recipes that will help make school as special as it was on day one.

There are so many ideas here that you can pick one to make each weekend and have a year’s worth of creativity. I love the magnetic bookmarks and the variety of pencil toppers. Even the charts can make school fun. Homework is a drudge but with the help of Cars or Minnie Mouse you can enjoy getting it done. In fact, any of these crafts would make a great reward for finishing a book report or science project. Set your imagination free and you’ll find lots of ways to use these ideas.

Kids have to go to school whether they want to or not. With these crafts and recipes it can be something they look forward to, week after week. Happiness squared.

Goofy Movie: Do you want to inspire your kids to do well in school? I would pop some popcorn and watch Meet the Robinsons. This fun and funny movie makes heroes out of inventors young and old. It is a wonderful family movie.

Image from Disney Parks Blog

I love to look at the display cases in the candy shops at the Disney parks. They are filled with so many wonderful treats that I never know which one to choose. One item that I love but never buy is caramel apples. I love everything about a caramel apple except the stickiness and the mess that eating an apple on a stick makes. But the taste…Yum!

The Disney confectioners have now made a caramel apple that I can’t wait to try. The English Toffee Gourmet Apple is dipped in chocolate, dipped in caramel, covered in English toffee bits, and drizzled with more chocolate. Awesome! But it is still a sticky juicy mess. What to do?

My answer is to enjoy it like I would a fancy dinner. You wouldn’t eat a fancy dinner while walking down the sidewalk trying to keep the mess off your clothes. Caramel apples should be savored. So here are five tips to help you enjoy every bit of your sweet treat.

5 ways to enjoy a Disney caramel apple:

1) Take a picture of it. These apples are works of art. Take a picture of it before, during, and after. The memories will last long after the taste does.

2) Sit down. These apples are big and juicy. To avoid making a mess as you try to walk and eat find a bench or even better a table and chair so you can take your time and focus on your treat.

3) Slice it up. If you are at a place where you can get a knife then slice off pieces to enjoy. The caramel likes to slide around and if you try to take a bite out of the smooth round apple you may lose the coating. Cutting slices off also keeps the mess under control.

4) Use lots of napkins. Your hands are going to be sticky. Your face is going to be sticky. Stock up on napkins before you start so you can enjoy the treat without worrying about cleaning up.

5) Share an apple with friends. These treats are huge and there is a lot of variety. Why not share them with your friends. If you use the four previous tips you’ll have more than just an afternoon treat, you’ll have a great memory.

So, go ahead. Try a caramel apple. It’s a fruit, right? And as you know an apple a day keeps the doctor away. However, I don’t promise that these treats will keep the dentist away. Happiness squared.

Goofy Food: Even if you are not visiting a Disney park soon you can enjoy caramel apples at home. Spoonful.com has a nice basic recipe to get you started. Remember the skies the limit when it comes to toppings. I think chocolate, caramel, English toffee bits, and more chocolate is perfect. What combination would you try?

I would probably have replaced some of my photos with updated photos of more current Disney trips, but I found a wonderful family photo taken about 35 years ago and I realized that I would like to display some older photos along with newer ones. So I am shaking things up. Out with the old and in with the new. But also, out with the new and in with the old.

How about you? Do your photos need to be shaken up? Finding different photos is a fun way to spend an afternoon. After you have gathered a bunch why not ask your family to pick their favorites? You may end up displaying photos you never thought you would. Happiness squared.

Goofy Tip: The next time you are at the Disney parks buy a picture frame as a souvenir. When you get home write the date of the trip on the bottom of the frame along with who was with you. If you want you can put a picture of the trip in the frame but if you end up putting a non-Disney photo in you’ll always remember the trip when you see the frame.