Memorial Day

In honor of those who serve, please take a moment today to thank the members of our military, both past and present for the sacrifices they make to keep us safe. Many members of my family have served and continue to serve today. I am grateful for all that they do to protect our freedoms. As Walt Disney once said, "Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life."

Thank you to our military for keeping those ideals alive.

POP! Vinyl

Have you heard about the new POP! Vinyl debuting tomorrow at Disney Stores? They are a unique collection of vinyl dolls that are too cute! There will be several series of Pop! Vinyl, with Series 1 including: Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear & Woody from Toy Story, Mike & Sully from Monsters INC, Jiminy Cricket & Pinocchio, Snow White, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Tinker Bell, Cruella DeVil from 101 Dalmations, and Stitch. They will be available exclusively at Disney Stores and DisneyStore.com. They cost $12.50 each, or you can purchase all of Series 1 together for $150. The next set, Series 2, will include: Belle & the Beast, Boo from Monsters INC, Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas, Minnie Mouse, The Incredibles, and Lotso Bear from Toy Story.

The Muppets

Is anyone else excited to see the new Muppets movie? I loved watching the Muppets when I was growing up. We watched the Muppet movies, Muppet babies cartoon, Fraggle Rock, and later, Jim Henson's Storyteller series. My favorite was always Kermit the Frog. I just saw a preview for The Muppets when I went to the movie theater to see Pirates of the Caribbean 4. At first, I thought it was just a romantic comedy starring Amy Adams and Jason Segel. And then they revealed that it was a Muppet movie as well, so now I really want to see it. As usual, this movie has a huge cast of stars including: Selena Gomez, Neil Patrick Harris, Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Ricky Gervais, Katy Perry, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, and Liza Minelli! The plot follows the Muppets, with the help of three of their fans, as they reunite to attempt to save their old studio from the clutches of a greedy oil tycoon. The Muppets have turned reuniting to save something they hold dear into an art form, but each time, its fun and new. I have loved all of the Muppet's movies and can't wait until November 23 when the new movie will be released in theaters nationwide.

Let the Memories Begin

Disney

Disney has rolled out a new experience for fans of Walt Disney World. It's called the Let the Memories Begin Tour. This is a chance for everyone to experience the magic of Disney World without going to Florida.

Disney

By visiting one of the tour locations, guests can take virtual in-park photos that they can share. Photos are provided by Snapfish. Cast members will spread a little pixie dust at each stop, making this tour a magical experience. The tour kicks off in Chicago this weekend and travels around the country, ending in Puerto Rico in September. Here's a list of tour dates and cities.

5/30 - 5/31 Chicago, IL
6/5 - 6/6 Boston, MA
6/10 - 6/12 New York, NY
6/18 - 6/19 Washington, DC
6/24 - 6/25 Atlanta, GA
7/8 - 7/9 Dallas, TX
7/12 - 7/13 Houston, TX
7/19 - 7/20 Phoenix, AZ
7/26 - 7/27 Denver, CO
7/30 - 7/31 Salt Lake City, UT
8/5 - 8/6 San Francisco, CA
8/16 - 8/17 Portland, OR
8/20 - 8/21 Seattle, WA
8/26 - 8/27 Calgary, Canada
9/2 - 9/3 Toronto, Canada
9/23 - 9/24 Puerto Rico

A recent nationwide survey of U.S. and Canadian families found that vacation memories hold a special place in family history. Nine out of 10 parents said they planned vacations with the hope that they would result in a lasting family memory. In 2011, Disney Parks launched “Let the Memories Begin,” a year-long celebration of the family vacation memories created in Disney theme parks every day. You can view my previous post about this celebration here.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

I just saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean tonight and I have to say, I LOVED it! I have been waiting for months, hoping that the new film would live up to the promise of the previous three and, while there was less action than in At World's End, it was still a great addition to the Pirates of the Caribbean stories. Without revealing any spoilers, here's the basics of the story. Captain Jack is up to his usual tricks and his usual trouble. He is still searching for the fountain of youth, but once again, he needs a ship and a crew. Along the way, he meets up with Gibbs and Barbossa, who has turned Privateer for King George. He also runs into Angelica, an old flame who may or may not be Blackbeard's daughter. After being shanghaied onto Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, Jack must find his way to the fabled fountain of youth, beating everyone else to it's miraculous waters. The story is great, full of characters new and old. They've kept with the supernatural feel of the earlier films, introducing mermaids, zombies, and a ship that may be possessed. Overall, I think it's a worthy addition to the Pirates' world. And don't forget to stay until the very end of the credits. As with the first three films, there is a bonus scene that is quite funny.

Bath & Body Works myPocketBac Contest

Have you seen the myPocketBac contest from Bath & Body Works? You can design your own PocketBac label and then vote for your favorite designs. It's a lot of fun to create a label and some of the entries are a lot of fun. Check out this one I created for the Marshmallow scent. If you like it, please click on the image and you can vote. Be sure to make one of your own while you're there. The grand prize is a $500 gift card to Bath & Body Works and use of your label on a limited edition PocketBac, so it's well worth it.

Mousescrappers weekend and a Freebie

In honor of Mousescrappers 2nd Anniversary, I've made some primary colored Mickeys for use on your scrapbooking layouts. I used this Mickey on my layout about the hopscotch design we found in EPCOT at the United Kingdom pavilion. This is the first design I've decided to share, but I hope to have more soon. So for now, enjoy! And don't forget to stop by Mousescrappers this weekend for some fun and games.

Just click on the image to download.