Sunday, November 5, 2017

PlasmaCar Giveaway (Ends 11/19) US

This post contains affiliate links.

Welcome to the PlasmaCar for the Holidays Giveaway!


You can read What U Talking Bout Willis's review hereMy oldest two kids each have one of these cars and I can honestly say that they both love them!  Ours have already provided countless hours of fun.






This giveaway will go from November 5th to November 19, 201711:59 pm est. You must be 18 years of age or older & be a resident of the US to enter/win.

(Do you need to get one right away?  You can purchase them on Amazon with my affiliate link.)



  One winner will receive their own PlasmaCar, your choice of color from what is offered. You will have 24 hours to respond to the winner notification email. You can enter on the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: We reserve the right to make revisions, to cancel, or suspend this contest for any reason. We are not associated with any of the companies named above. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received. This is Open to the US Only and she must be 18 years or older to enter. Confirmed Winner(s) (by Random.org) will be contacted by email. Winner(s) have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this giveaway. What U Talking Bout Willis?(and any other blog participating) is not responsible for product shipment/delivery. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements. Entrants must only enter with either one email address, IP address and/or Facebook account, anyone found violating these rules will be disqualified.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Where is Minnie Mouse in Walt Disney World?

This post contains affiliate links.
Minnie is wearing her red dress with white polka dots.

No Disney World trip would be complete without visiting Minnie Mouse, so where can you find her? Well, the answer is pretty simple: just about everywhere!  

Keep in mind that Disney is constantly changing, so while this information is true now, it might not be true when you visit.  This post was updated February 2020.


Currently, there is a Character Meet & Greet with Minnie Mouse at all four Disney World Parks in Orlando, Florida.  You can get your picture together, get Minnie's autograph, and give her a hug.  Here's where to look on your park map to find Minnie:

Magic Kingdom
  • Pete’s Silly Sideshow (across from Dumbo) -- There are no FastPasses for this attraction.  This is indoors.  (Pictured above.)  Minnie wears a fun pink ensemble.
Epcot
  • Character Spot -- FastPasses are available, and I would recommend them for this attraction.  The lines, while indoors, can get quite long. (Pictured below.)  UPDATE (2/1/2020): With the vast construction happening at Epcot right now, Minnie is meeting in the gazebo just inside the world showcase.  There are no FastPasses and the line gets very long.  Minnie wears her iconic red dress with white polka dots.
Hollywood Studios
  • Mickey and Minnie Starring in Red Carpet Dreams (on Commissary Lane) -- No FastPasses available.  A large portion of the line is outdoors, although it is shaded and has fans.  Minnie wears a very elegant pink dress.

Animal Kingdom
  • Adventure Outpost -- FastPasses available.  The line is indoors.  For some reason, I personally find this particular line to move quite slowly, so I highly recommend getting the FastPass.  Mickey and Minnie wear their safari outfits.  

Character Dining


Minnie is popular at many of the Character Dining experiences as well.  (Be warned, characters are never guaranteed at dining experiences, but they are typically there if advertised as such.)  The Disney website will be the best place to get the most up to date information, however, if you're looking for Minnie the following would be a good place to start!
  • Minnie's Beach Bash Breakfast Cape May Cafe (Beach Club Resort)
  • Chef Mickey's (Contemporary Resort)
  • Hollywood And Vine (Hollywood Studios) Seasonally/occasionally
  • Tusker House (Animal Kingdom)
  • Topolino's Terrace (Riviera Resort)



I hope that I've answered the following question for you:

Where in the "World" is Minnie Mouse?

But, if you have any questions, just ask! 

Where have you met Minnie Mouse?

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Step2 Cottage Playhouse Giveaway (Ends 7/13) US



 If you've been looking for the perfect playhouse for your little ones, look no further than the Step2 Charming Cottage Playhouse, sold exclusively at Toys "R" Us! We're thrilled to be able to give one of these darling cottages away to one of our readers, thanks to our friends at Step2.

 

Here are details about this playhouse, from the Step2 website: This Step2 cottage playhouse gives little ones a cozy place to call their own. Youngsters can use the working, electronic doorbell to let their friends know when the have arrived for the fun! Children can have their own imaginative dinner party with the attached outdoor dining table. This sturdy kid’s playhouse features an open-design concept that allows little ones to play with their friends both inside and outside! Made in the USA of US and imported parts.
  • Little ones can use the built-in kitchen sink, swivel faucet and outdoor eating area to have an afternoon of imaginative play!
  • Large, open-air design allows for multiple children to play while allowing parents to keep a watchful eye
  • Real, working doorbell chimes to let kids know when their guests have arrived
  • Large window planter boxes allow for children to plant flowers!
  • Realistic stone and wood design will bring years of pretend play fun
  • Exclusively available at Toys "R" Us!
  • Adult assembly required
  • Recommended for ages 2 and up
Open to the continental US only, ages 18 and up. Ends 7/13/17 at 11:59 PM EST. Enter using the Giveaway Tools form below. Good Luck!
Disclosure: One winner will be randomly selected using the Giveaway Tools random selector and notified via email. Once notified, the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or Google. Void where prohibited.  The Philosopher's Wife is not responsible for prize shipment or fulfillment. 

Friday, June 9, 2017

$30 Little Adventures Giveaway (Ends 6/25) US


Welcome to the Little Adventures Pretend Play Giveaway
Hosted by and full review at: Parenting Healthy

Learning Through Pretend Play

  • Critical Thinking: through role playing and problem solving, kids use pretend play to learn how to find conclusions. When rough play is involved to a safe extent, they are actually learning to self-regulate.
  • Problem Solving: Someone has to create a solution to rescue the princess or defeat the evil monsters. Your child will find a way!
  • Imagination: this is the natural way that children discover and learn about the world. In the scenarios they create in their games they find ways to use the skills they have to do more such as dress themselves and create scenarios.
The SAVINGS and GIVEAWAY Everybody gets a little something! Head over to LittleAdventures.com and shop costumes like the Princess Gift Set or Pirate Gift Set for only $19.99 regular price and once you find the costumes you want, enter to code: PH15% to save an extra 15%. Want to enter for your chance to win a $30 credit? Enter below. Open to US and ends on 6/25. Good luck!

Entry-Form

Parenting Healthy was provided with a product for review.  Bloggers, including The Philosopher's Wife, are not responsible for prize fulfillment or shipment.  Winning entries will be verified and winner will be emailed.  Winner must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn.

7 Quick Takes: Hello, again!

This post contains affiliate links. 

1. Do you know how when mommies that blog say they have an announcement and 99% of the time it's a pregnancy announcement?  Well, I'm going to perpetuate that stereotype.  I'm pregnant!

2. This pregnancy has been, by far, my worst yet.  I've been incredibly nauseous and sick.  I'm finally getting some relief. I feel like I'm coming back to life again!  Even if I am still nauseous most days . . .  (Hopefully this will mean more regular blogging.)

3. I did manage to get some Disney in (just before our summer is blocked out).  Pandora is awesome, folks.  I couldn't even ride Flight of Passage (due to QT #1) and I'm still going to say it's fantastic.  (Blog post forthcoming!)

4. After four months of being too sick to do anything I have quite the back log of crafty projects that I simply need to do.


5.  Stack the States is a great app.  It's well worth the couple of bucks.  My three year old can now identify all fifty states and knows where they belong.  I'm impressed.  (Of course, we did have to have a talk about why the states don't have eyes on "normal" maps.)



6. While I've been too sick to actually do anything I have spent some time online.  I have some new favorite sewing pattern designers that I am itching to try out.  (Favorite in so far as I love what I see online -- I'll let you know what I think once I actually sew something using their patterns!)  One of these designers is Izzy & Ivy.  Isn't this jacket just adorable?  Of course, living in sunny Florida means that this gorgeous pattern isn't probably where I should spend my time or money . . .



7. I'm currently reading The Thief.  Catherine's current favorite book is Roller Coaster.  Dominic's current favorite is My Little Animal Book.



Linking up with Kelly!  Come check out more Quick Takes.

Check out this fun Beauty and the Beast giveaway! (Ends 6/20/17. US only.)




Monday, February 6, 2017

February Granny-Spiration Challenge


Welcome to the February edition of the Granny-Spiration Challenge!  Projects will be shared from your hosts the first Saturday of each month. Post times will vary -- you can see my Be My Valentine: A Free Crochet Pattern right here!

Join the Challenge!

You will be able to link up from 9am EST on the first Saturday of the month, through 11:59pm EST on the second Thursday from the start date - specific dates are on top of the Rafflecopter form - giving you almost two weeks to link up and enter the giveaway! (Feel free to read more about it at EyeLoveKnots.)

Please share projects that are family friendly and GRANNY INSPIRED!  It could be a "regular" granny square, a solid granny square, a granny stitch pattern, a pattern review, or an inspiration piece -- we're pretty open minded.

*Please make sure to link to your post, and not your homepage.
*If you don't have a blog, you can still share with us by creating a Free Flickr Account - powered by Yahoo. Add your projects there, and then come back here with the link for the project.
*Link ups cannot be to Etsy listings or Ravelry pages where patterns are sold. You can link to blog posts, Flickr or Facebook pages, Pins, etc that are directed towards it, but can't directly link to it.
*Features may be chosen at the discretion of each host. By linking up, you give us permission to feature your item.

An InLinkz Link-up


Enter the Giveaway!

This month's Granny-Spiration giveaway will be for two skeins of Yarn Bee's Andres Alpaca Yarn in the Foxglove colorway.  Sponsored by EyeLoveKnots.


Void where prohibited.  Sponsor is responsible for prize shipment and fulfilment.  Must be 18+.  US only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be My Valentine: Crochet Heart (Free Pattern)

This post contains affiliate links.

Here's a unique Valentine to give this February!  Of course, it makes a sweet little gift anytime of the year!

Materials
I used Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn and an H hook. (I find it rather amusing that all but one of these colors has "hot" in the name.)

Pattern Notes
This is not a tested pattern.  It also presupposes a basic knowledge of crochet.  I'd rate this as an advanced beginner pattern.

Free Crochet Heart Pattern

Round 1 (Hot Pink)
Chain 4. Join.  Start like a basic granny square: chain 2, 2 dc, chain two, three dc. chain two, three dc.chain two, three dc. chain two, three dc. Chain two, join.

Round 2 (Beach Glass)
 3 dc, ch 2, 3dc in each corner, chain one between each corner.

Round 3 (Hot Purple)
Slip stitch to join in a corner.  10 triple crochet stitches into the chain one space.  Slip stitch in corner. 10 triple crochet stitches into the chain one space.

Round 4 (Hot Blue)
Single stitch around.
Note: Chain 2 at heart point.
Note: On purple, single crochet in each stitch but chain one between each stitch.

Round 5 (Hot Orange)
Slip stitch in back loop of the blue.
Note: Chain two at the point.

Weave in your ends and enjoy!



As always, I enjoy sharing my projects around the blogosphere.  Here are the some of the places where I link up!



Sunday, January 15, 2017

Sesame Street: K is for Kindness (Pembroke Lakes Mall in Pembroke Pines, Florida)

This is a sponsored post written by me.  All opinions are my own.

Did you watch Sesame Street as a kid?  I totally did!  In fact, I bet that my Mom still has an old VHS tape or two labeled with my name on it that has vintage Sesame Street.  It would have been carefully taped from TV.  (Oh, the things today's kids wouldn't understand!)

Do your kids love Elmo?

Would your kids like to meet Elmo?

If you answered "yes" to the above, especially to the second two questions, then you might be interested in the Sesame Street: K is for Kindness Tour.  This tour is celebrating the start of the 47th season of Sesame Street.

The target audience is, of course, the preschooler in the family.  Meet and greets with some of the characters, hands on fun, a fifteen minute stage show, a library corner, and more will entertain one and all.  The goal of this tour is to "spark imagination, inspire a love of reading, cultivate kindness, and provide an element of surprise for children at each and every stop.”*  Being so immersed in the Sesame Street world will be a magical experience for your preschooler.

Should I make it a little better? It's free.

While this tour is making a variety of stops, I especially want to tell you about the tour stop happening in sunny Florida!  Elmo (and some of his friends) will be visiting the Pembroke Lakes Mall on Saturday, January 21st, 2017 in Pembroke Pines, Florida from 11 AM until 4 PM.  The mall is located at: 11401 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, FL 33026.

As a parent that frequents all that Central Florida has to offer, it's just so amazing to watch the joy on your kid's face their favorite characters come to life.  I highly doubt that you would regret taking the time to bring your kids to the K is for Kindness Tour.

You can follow Pembroke Lakes Mall on Twitter,  Instagram, and Facebook.



*Quote is from Scott Chambers who is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of North America Media and Licensing, Sesame Workshop.


Thursday, January 12, 2017

Disney with Two Little Kids and One Adult

This post contains affiliate links.  This means that I will receive a small compensation if you purchase something after clicking through one of my links.  The price does not change based on whether or not you use one of my affiliate links. 


(Note: I need to write an update for this post, because now I regularly go to Disney World with my THREE kids while my husband is at work!)


We're addicted to Disney.

We go often.  It's a rare week that we aren't there.  (Unless we're blocked because we don't have the crazy-super-duper expensive passes.  Just the regular ol' pretty expensive passes.)

Almost every time it's the whole family: me, Daddy, Catherine, and Dominic.  However, it has been just me and the kids a more than a few times.  Am I crazy?  Well, maybe.  But not for this.

Since I've done it successfully so often I thought I would share some tips that have worked well for us.  I know there are lots of scenarios out there that equate into only one parent being able to bring the kids, so maybe something in here will help you.  Also, a lot of these Disney tips could apply to anyone, so even if you're just a kid at heart something here might help you!




1. Pick your park.

I recommend sticking with Magic Kingdom.  As I write this, my kids are two and six.  Catherine, 6, can ride everything Magic Kingdom has to offer.  Dominic can ride a lot, but certainly not everything.

While you could piece together a fun trip to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom with proper planning (and we have) I think Magic Kingdom is the best bet.  The only Disney World park that the kids and I haven't done without Daddy is Hollywood Studios -- but a lot of that has to do with him being a major Star Wars aficionado.  (At the bottom of this post check out my links for "What to do at Disney's ______ Park with Little Kids and Babies" for planning help.)

The one big negative that Magic Kingdom has is getting over the lake.  If you drive to Disney, which I do as a local, getting from the car to the front gate at the other parks takes ten minutes, tops, at Magic Kingdom it frequently takes a half an hour or more.



2. Adjust your expectations.


If you're solo with the little people there's a good chance that you won't be able to do everything that you'd like.  Space Mountain is one of my favorite rides at Magic Kingdom.  I simply can't ride it though when it's just me and the kids.  I've even had to give up an elusive Mine Train FastPass that I somehow scored because, clearly, Dominic can't wait for me by himself while Catherine and I ride.  (That was a day we thought Daddy might be able to come.)  I'm one of those people that could be at the park from opening to closing and be totally happy.  My kids can't do that.  Acknowledge that this might not be your ideal trip and then, well, let it go.


3. Watch carefully for tiredness.

I think this is especially important whenever the children outnumber the adults.  You only have so many arms!  Maybe you have mastered baby (or toddler) wearing, pushing a stroller, carrying an umbrella, juggling three cups of water, AND not bumping into other people, but I haven't.  Getting tired and cranky isn't good for anyone; sometimes cutting a visit short is the answer.  When it's been just me and the kids we typically stay at the parks for about 4 to 6 hours.  More than that gets dicey.



4. Bring the stroller.

I never go without a stroller.  My Fitbit shows that I average about 7 miles a day in the parks.  (Keep in mind, these are short park visits -- for a longer visit it's easily over 10 miles!)  That's a lot for little legs.  I've been looking for one of the sit and stand type strollers, but haven't found a good one in my price range.  (Meaning I haven't found a good one at a yard sale or on Craigslist yet!)  Catherine does a great job of keeping up, but I have had them both ride in the single stroller together more than once.

A word of caution about strollers: If you aren't at the park early (which you should be!) you will probably need to take a tram in the parking lot.  Please note, you must fold up your stroller to get on the tram.  This means that you, and you alone, will be carrying your stroller, the bags, and the kids.  That can get quite overwhelming.  If you're early you will most likely be in one of the close parking lots and can skip the tram.  (I almost always chose to skip the tram.)

5. Plan your visit.

Get those FastPasses!  Lines for Winnie the Pooh, Buzz, and especially Peter Pan can be quite long.  Also, ask the kids what they would like to do, their answers might surprise you.  One time both of my kids wanted to spend time in Pooh's house.  We hung out in front of the ride playing in Pooh's house for over half an hour.  They loved it.  Another time Dominic wanted to ride the "horses" over and over again, so we rode the Carousel a half dozen times one morning.



6. Get there early.

This is a good Disney World tip in general.  My kids tend to be early rises, so getting there early isn't really an issue for us.  While the initial opening of the gates surge can be intimidating if you've never been there before, it typically is the least crowded part of the day.  Enjoy it!  Seriously, you can get on about a dozen rides by lunchtime if you're there for the gate drop.


7. Pack carefully.

We typically have three bags: small cooler, diaper bag, and a rain gear bag.  The cooler (similar to this one) generally has PB&J and a few snacks (we don't pack water since it's free at all of the restaurants), the diaper bag has one day's worth of supplies, and then we have some type of rain protection for each person (especially during the rainy season).  Try to keep each bag as minimal as possible.  Whatever you bring you will be lugging around for the entire day.  You will also probably be lugging your children at some point.  I sometimes ditch the rain gear bag, although that has been a bad decision more than once, and sometimes we bring our pin trading bag (similar to this one, but ours is pink, with princesses).

8. Have fun!

It's Disney.  Enjoy yourself!  A Disney day, or week, will be different if you're the solo adult, but everyone can still have a great time!


Do you have any great Disney tips to share?  Let me hear them in the comments section!




Be sure to take a look at what you can do with little kids and babies at each of the Disney World parks!



 http://www.thephilosopherswife.net/2016/08/what-can-i-do-at-disneys-magic-kingdom.html




Clicking on the above photos should get you to the right post, but just in case, here are the links again:



I will be sharing this post at various blog parties, including these




Saturday, January 7, 2017

Granny Stripe Hat

This post contains affiliate links.



This Granny Stripe Hat is my first of the Granny-Spiration Project.  (Read more about this below, and be sure to enter the giveaway!)  This is an easy hat to crochet and works up quite quickly.

I used an H hook and Caron Simply Soft.

A note about fit and size:  This is a slouchy hat.  My lovely model has a larger than average head circumference for her age.  This hat would properly fit teens and ladies.

Chain 5. Join.

Row 1  *Two dc, chain 1*around until there are six groups of 2dc.

Row 2  Crochet 2 groups of 2dc in each chain one space of previous row, make sure to chain one between each group. (12 groups of 2dc)

Rows 3 &4 Crochet 3dc in each chain one space, keeping the chain one between each group.

Row 5 Crochet 2 dc groups of three in each chain 1 space (always have a chain one between each group)

Row 6 - 10 3 dc groups in each chain with a chain 1 between each one.

Row 11 HDC around.

Rows 12 through 15 HDC in the third loop.  Finish off.



This Month's Giveaway is sponsored by EyeLoveKnots. 

One winner will receive a $10 Etsy Card to spend in any shop on Etsy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Must be 18 or older to enter. Open to all countries. Gift card has been purchased in US Dollars. If recipient is outside of the US, to use gift card, must go into Etsy settings and temporarily change to US Dollars. Void where prohibited. Winner has 48 hours to respond to email notification, or another winner will be chosen. EyeLoveKnots is responsible for prize fulfillment and shipment.


New Granny-Spiration Projects will be shared from your hosts the first Saturday of each month. Post times will vary. You will be able to link up from 9am EST on the first Saturday of the month, through 11:59pm EST on the second Thursday from the start date - specific dates are on top of the Rafflecopter form - giving you almost two weeks to link up and enter the giveaway! Please share projects that are family friendly, and GRANNY INSPIRED through use of regular granny square or solid granny square, granny stitch pattern or other afghan square in the form of a free pattern, pattern review, or inspiration piece. Not limited to crochet or knit.

*Please make sure to link to your post, and not your homepage.

 *If you don't have a blog, you can still share with us by creating a Free Flickr Account - powered by Yahoo. Add your projects there, and then come back here with the link for the project.

 *Link ups cannot be to Etsy listings or Ravelry pages where patterns are sold. You can link to blog posts, Flickr or Facebook pages, Pins, etc that are directed towards it, but can't directly link to it. To be clearer though, Raverly pages of finished projects are okay to share. Sorry for the inconvenience! That's per InLinkz guidelines. Thanks!

 *Features may be chosen at the discretion of each host. By linking up, you give us permission to feature your item.