Friday, January 27, 2017

The Return of the Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland!

Don't miss the Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland. It's back for a limited time!


The Main Street Electrical Parade made its debut at the Disneyland Park in 1972 with 500,000 bulbs. It was magical. I remember being a little girl sitting on the sidewalk with my parents and cheering with joy because Cinderella had waved at me while Baroque Hoedown played in the background (Google Baroque Hoedown now and you will SMILE). In 1996, after a 24-year run, Disneyland closed the parade. Original parade bulbs were encased and sold to collectors. As a matter of fact, my cousin Johnny shared with me last night that his aunt owns one!
Anyhow, the parade appeared three years later at the Magic Kingdom in Florida.






But on January 19, 2017, the Main Street Electrical parade returned to the Disneyland Park and I was there for the opening ceremony, which was fantastic. There was definitely an older crowd for the special event, which means many of us wanted to relive our memories at Disneyland!
It was supposed to rain which would have caused the cancellation of the parade but the rain never fell and the parade's homecoming was both nostalgic and energizing.
The Main Street Electrical Parade will be at Disneyland for a limited time through June 18, 2017.
I hope you can make it and enjoy some of the parade-themed goodies currently being offered at Disneyland.


Have fun!

Friday, January 20, 2017

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes...Roar!

Sharing my favorite items from the January 2017 Degustabox delivery service


When I received my January Degustabox, I knew the year was off to a great start!
The food items included in that box were awesome. My favorite was a box of Hungry Jack Pumpkin Spice Pancake batter.


If you follow my blog, then you know I love making pancakes for my boys. I have so much fun creating shapes and designs and making the overall breakfast experience a tasty and visually appealing experience. So when I saw this Hungry Jack Pancake batter box, I got really excited. You just have to add water and the pancake mix is ready for the griddle!

Since we were heading to the zoo on this particular day, I decided to make use of the batter's brownish/orange color to create two pancakes, a large one and a small one. The idea was to build a lion head with pancakes and berries... a very fun way to talk about the animals we'd be seeing later.
The only ingredients required to make this are:
*Hungry Jack Pancake Mix
*Water
*Berries (strawberries & blackberries)
*Butter
Instructions:  
Grease the griddle with butter, pour the batter into circle shapes.
Slice the fruit and arrange to make a Lion face.




And did I mention the pancakes taste like delicious pumpkin pie slices? The pumpkin spice flavor is so good!
By the way, Degustabox is a monthly food box subscription that costs $20 (including shipping).
I've shared many recipes based on awesome food products delivered inside my Degustabox, including:

July Cantaloupe Drink
August Mini Donuts
September Ratatouille Shrimp
October Harvest Snack
November Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza
December Gingerbread House Vanilla Cake
  
For more information on Degustabox, click here.

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Becoming a 2017 Disney Parks Mom Panelist!

Happy to share about my amazing new 2017 gig with Disney!

Selfie with the boss!
 Many friends and relatives have asked me how I became a Disney Parks Moms Panelist. They probably saw tons of pictures appear on social media during training, which took place in early December. I couldn't help but share and I was also getting tagged in photos showing an amazing time at Walt Disney World with my fellow mom panelists (twelve of us, to be exact).


But my answer to the question about how I became a panelist is very simple: I don't know.
I applied along with thousands and thousands of other Disney-loving mommies from around the world. I answered all application questions honestly and from the heart. I also made sure to double check my grammar and punctuation on every single submission. I let them know I was bilingual and confirmed that neither myself or anyone in my immediate family worked for Disney or a travel agency. I also submitted the dates of our last Disney vacation (you must have stayed at a Disney Resort at least once in the last 12 months).


Friends, there must have been a perfect amount of pixie dust on my application because I never imagined I would move on to the final round, let alone get selected!


Before I knew it, I was experiencing the most unforgettable Disney trip with some really nice, witty, intelligent and sweet Disney mommies (and one awesome dad from Canada), with whom I plan on being in touch with for many years to come, I mean, to infinity and beyond, if possible! The experience was practically perfect in every way...



All Disney quotes aside though, being on the Disney Parks Moms Panel is an honor. It's a highly coveted spot where we have a unique opportunity to serve as ambassadors or representatives of Disney Parks. We do so by answering questions from families planning a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. We were selected because of our enthusiasm toward all things Disney and we are given the liberty to offer our favorite suggestions, recommendations and advice to families visiting the parks. It's certainly a very involved assignment and one that doesn't come with a salary but in good ol' Disney fashion, we are fortunate to receive magical benefits for taking on this once-in-a-lifetime role.
You can visit the Disney Parks Moms Panel website for more information.
My picture and biography are on the website now (woo-hoo)! I will be answering questions in English and Spanish about the Disneyland Resort.
By the way,  the 2018 panel search will open later in the year. Make sure you sign-up to receive Disney Parks Blog information directly to your email inbox for the exact dates.


For Disney Parks Moms Panel hopefuls, all I can say is don't give up! A couple of this year's mom panelists applied for 10 years before getting selected for 2017, which happens to be the 10th anniversary of the Disney Parks Moms Panel program!
After a conversation with one of those mommies, it seemed as though 2017 was the best possible year for her to have participated, given personal and professional situations.
In other words, things happen for a reason and If you can dream it, you can do it!



 En español
Mucha gente me ha preguntado cómo le hice para terminar entre el grupo de mamás panelistas de Disney de 2017. Quizá vieron las fotos que subí o fotos donde me etiquetaron durante la semana de entrenamiento en Walt Disney World. Y es que ni como contener la emoción de estar entre un grupo de doce mamás (y un padre canadiense) que fuimos selecccionados por Disney para esta asignación.

En realidad no sé cuál fue la razón por la que me escogieron. Presenté mi solicitud junto con miles de personas fanáticas de Disney alrededor del mundo. Contesté todas las preguntas con honestidad y  corazón. Me aseguré de enviar las respuestas sin faltas de gramática u ortografía. Les avisé que era bilingue y confirmé que nadie en mi familia trabajaba para Disney u alguna agencia de viajes. También les proporcioné las fechas de mis ultimas vacaciones a Disney (se requiere hospedaje en un hotel de Disney al menos una vez en los últimos 12 meses). 


Será que Campanita estaba de mi lado y le puso suficiente brillantina a mi solicitud porque ¡jamás imaginé que llegaría a la última ronda, y mucho menos que sería seleccionada!
Este papel como mamá panelista de Disney es uno que me enorgullece mucho. Es un puesto muy solicitado que nos brinda la oportunidad de servir como representantes o embajadores de Disney. Esto lo hacemos contestando todo tipo de preguntas sobre los parques a familias que planean viajar a Disney. Fuimos seleccionadas en parte por nuestro conocimiento sobre todo lo referente a Disney y tenemos libertad de contestar preguntas, ofrecer consejos y dar recomendaciones basado en nuestros gustos y preferencias. Yo estaré encargada de contestar preguntas sobre Disneyland en inglés y español. Aquí pueden conocer más sobre las panelistas.
¡Estoy a sus ordenes!


Xoxo,

I was selected to serve as a 2017 Disney Parks Mom Panelist, an independent contract position with magical benefits. All opinions are my own.

Monday, January 2, 2017

There's Still time to catch Disney on Ice: Worlds of Enchantment!

This ice skating performance is perfection, as in all things Disney!


We made it to our first Disney on Ice performance in Long Beach a few days ago.
It was great to see many of the characters the kids have grown up watching, like the entire cast from Toy Story and some of our favorite characters from Cars gliding so gracefully through the ice rink.


My opinion: Disney on Ice presents WORLDS of ENCHANTMENT was spectacular!
Benny had a blast! I had a blast! Everyone had a blast!



In the first act, you see incredible performances by the characters of Toy Story and The Little Mermaid. Act II is a show featuring Cars and Frozen!

Here's a synopsis of the show:

Enter the dazzling world of Disney magic, live on ice!  Rev up for non-stop fun with four of your favorite Disney stories at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Enchantment. Thrill to high-speed stunts as Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew of Disney•Pixar's Cars race across the ice like you’ve never seen before!  Dive into adventure with Ariel and The Little Mermaid's undersea kingdom.  The toys are back in town with heroic action when Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the Toy Story gang escape from the rambunctious tots of Sunnyside Daycare and race for home, in their most daring adventure ever!  Plus, enter the wintery world of Arendelle with sisters Anna and Elsa and pals Olaf and Kristoff from Disney’s Frozen, as they learn that true love comes from within.  From wheels to waves, icy wonderlands to infinity and beyond, your family's favorite Disney moments come to life at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Enchantment.

You can get tickets to see Disney on Ice Presents WORLDS of ENCHANTMENT at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario showing now through January 8.

Get your tickets here!

Have fun!

I received free tickets to Disney on Ice Worlds of Enchantment in exchange for coverage before and after the event. All opinions are my own.