Photoshoot

Photoshoot by lilliana-gonzalez featuring g by guess boots

Dress
jcpenney.com

G by guess boots
macys.com

'Montaza' Sport Shirt
nordstrom.com

Disney Infant Toddler Girls' Topsy Dress Green
target.com

Disney Infant Toddler Girls' Wonder Dress Pink
target.com

Disney Princess Songs now in Spanish

Do all little girls want to be princesses at some point and time? Mine seems to enjoy princess play and we decided to make it a girls' day out. Two other girlfriends and their daughters joined us for a Princess Listening Party at our home where we played games, ate cupcakes, and listened to the new Canciones de las Princesas (songs from Disney princess movies now available in Spanish) that include titles from Ariel, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules, Tangled, Snow White, Mulan and others.

It was so much fun for the girls who all chose to wear their princess dresses or theme dresses to the party not because it was requested but because they all preferred it.  Hilarious!  After we sang, played, and ate we headed out to watch Disney’s Dream on Ice. 

Here are the three girls at the intermission giggling and giddy.

Don't miss out on the fun!  Enter to win your own copy of Cancioness de las Princesas.  And if you can't wait to win (odd are good if you enter) they are on sale now at local retail stores, Amazon and iTunes

See the second part of this post for a summary in Spanish: http://mytottravels.blogspot.com/2012/04/canciones-de-las-princesas-songs-of.html 

¿En español?  ¿Más detalles? Vea la segunda parte de esta entrada: http://mytottravels.blogspot.com/2012/04/canciones-de-las-princesas-songs-of.html.

Canciones de las Princesas (Songs of the Princesses) Giveaway

I have a four year old little girl and without fail she is a princess fan.  She is not too hardcore.  We don’t have to leave the house wearing tutus or tiaras but she loves her Disney princesses.  This little gal is also bilingual and one of my favorite learning tools with her is watching the Disney movies in Spanish with her so when I was approached about the release of Canciones de las Princesas (Songs of the Princesses) I was over the moon.  Could I really have the best of both worlds?  Yes!!!

Yesterday when I got home the CD was waiting for me and we proceeded to pop it in and listen.  She sang along and danced to every song.  TWICE!!!  Some she recognized others she didn’t but still stammered the words trying to learn them.  The timing is also spectacular because tomorrow we will be attending the Disney Princesses on Ice show and then in a week or so we’ll invite 4 or 5 of her friends and their mommies to attend Una Fiesta de Princesas (A Princess Party) where we will listen to the CD, eat cookies, do some crafts, play some games and learn (or practice) a little Spanish.   Stay tuned for the party post but in the meantime please enter to win your very own copy of the CD.  Lots of favorites and good variety in songs included.

On sale now at local retail stores, Amazon and iTunes  

Tengo mi propia princesa de cuatro años y como es de esperarse le encanta el mundo de Disney y todas sus princesas.  No es extremado su gusto pero no deja de ver las películas y aprenderse las canciones así que cuando llegue a casa ayer me dio mucho gusto ver que ya había llegado el CD de Canciones de las Princesas que me pidieron que escuchara para escribir una critica.  Mi hija por supuesto también es bilingüe… tratamos de ensenarle español y ver películas de Disney y escuchar canciones en español con ella es una de mis maneras favoritas de practicar su segundo idioma.  Que material tan perfecto… el mundo de Disney y las canciones de sus princesas justo para mi princesa.  Canciones de las Princesas se centra en las heroínas más queridas de Disney, con versiones en español de canciones clásicas provenientes de películas mágicas, tales como Enredados, La Princesa y el Sapo, La Bella y La Bestia, La Sirenita y muchas más. Esta encantadora colección presenta diversos éxitos interpretados por talento mexicano, entre ellos "Cuándo Empezaré a Vivir," por la cantante/actriz Danna Paola ("When Will My Life Begin" de “Enredados”); "Un Mundo Ideal," por Analy y Demian Bichir, recientemente nominado al Oscar® como Mejor Actor ("A Whole New World," de “Aladdin”); y "Colores en el Viento," por Susana Zavaleta ("Colors of the Wind," de “Pocahontas”).

Tan pronto abrí el CD lo pusimos a tocar y lo escucho todo bailando y cantando con todas las canciones DOS veces.  Algunas canciones ya se las sabia y otras fueron nuevas para ella porque todavía no vemos esas películas pero todas le encantaron y trato de cantar hasta las que no se sabía. Adicionalmente, este proyecto llega justo a tiempo ya que mañana vamos a ver Las Princesas Sobre Hielo.  Después dentro una semana vamos a invitar a 4 o 5 de sus amigitas y a sus mamis para que vengan a una Fiesta de de Princesa a escuchar el CD, comer galletas, jugar y practicar su español.  No se pierdan la próxima entrada del blog ya que pondre las fotos y les platicare como nos fue.  Por mientras por favor participen en el concurso para ganarse su propia copia.  Y si no pueden esperar ya esta a la venta en tiendas locales,  iTunes  y Amazon.

LADY AND THE TRAMP Giveaway

I love a classic and what better way to celebrate Valentine ’s Day with your little ones than with Disney’s Lady and The Tramp.   I also get doubly enthused by materials that are dual language and on February  7, 2012 Disney will be letting this classic out of the vault (and the US version includes a Spanish soundtrack) so I will be able to watch with my daughter a movie she already loves in either English or SPANISH!!! 

LADY AND THE TRAMP is the classic tale of how Lady, a golden cocker spaniel, falls for a mongrel dog named Tramp from the other side of town. The film is finally being released for the first time on hi-definition Blu-ray for families this Valentine’s Day!   LADY AND THE TRAMP: DIAMOND EDITION on Blu-ray and DVD combo pack will be available for a limited time only.

Disney’s Blu-ray Diamond Collection represents The Walt Disney Studios’ most prestigious and treasured animated classics. Diamond Edition titles boast the highest level of picture and sound;  feature groundbreaking, state-of-the-art immersive bonus content; and include unprecedented levels  of interactivity, personalization and customization, made possible because of Blu-ray technology.

To date, the company has released four Diamond Edition titles – Snow White and the Seven

Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast, Bambi and The Lion King.

I have been sent a copy for review and will be giving a copy away to one lucky winner.  I must admit that this is already a family favorite and that my oldest daughter (almost four) pulls this out of the drawer frequently.  After the giveaway I will post a review of the new Diamond Edition.  In the interim I hope you all enjoy the Spanish activities in the widget below.

We are raising bilingual girls and therefore look for any opportunity to expose them to the Spanish language. With our oldest we regularly watch movies (mostly Disney or PBS shows) in Spanish and I actively seek out computer games, books, etc. also in Spanish.  This way I can play with her or she can also play with her abuelitos and everyone feels included in the fun.

Please enter the contest below and let your friends know.  Winner will be announced on 2/7/2012.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

I heart Minnie DVD Release & Giveaway

With an almost four year old daughter at home who does not attend pre-school yet I can’t tell you how much we love the Disney Channel and especially the Mickey Mouse Club House. So when I heard that they were releasing a new "I heart Minnie" DVD on February 7, 2012 that includes a digital copy (so we can watch on the iPhone, tablets, etc.) I was ecstatic!


Of course this new DVD is just in time for Valentine’s Day but also just in time for our daughter’s 4th birthday (maybe we’ll show it at the party) and since it includes five, fun-filled episodes - each underlining the themes of friendship, teamwork, sharing and problem solving – and an all new bonus feature “You’re Invited to Minnie’s Birthday Party,”; it’s a perfect fit! Even better... this DVD is also in Spanish so for those of you trying to teach Spanish to your kiddos you can always select the language and get two great DVDs in one.

To celebrate I am running a promotion on this blog and one lucky reader will win a copy for themselves. To enter follow the simple directions below and I will use Random.org to choose a winner on the 7th. Winner’s name will be posted at the end of the blog in an update post before midnight on 2/7. In the mean time here are some activities to help celebrate the release.
Poster

Activity Sheet

Disney with a 2 yr old

Disney with a two year old?  Why?  That’s just too young.  She won’t remember anything so it’s a waste of money.  She’ll be overwhelmed and you’ll be miserable! These were the comments we heard from many people when we shared that we would be taking our two and a half year old to Magic Kingdom and then on a four night Disney Cruise.

Some of these comments held true but most were oh so false.  Our trip consisted of flying in on a Friday, spending the evening at Downtown Disney, going to Magic Kingdom on Saturday and then boarding the cruise ship on Sunday.  Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Thankfully our daughter is a great traveler.  She has her share of frequent flier miles and is the kiddo telling other kids not to cry and not to be scared because the plane, train, boat, etc. are fun.  Mom and dad are frequent travelers but I think her great attitude has a lot to do with her personality more than anything. We booked direct flights and brought snacks.  We stocked up on all sorts of things to keep her busy and prepared for the worst but on the way over she played with mom’s iPhone almost the whole time.  She sat in her own seat with her CARES on.  (Keep reading for more info on CARES and other travel tips below.)  On the way back she slept for two hours in her own seat.  No crying, no freaking out, no kicking someone’s seat or trying to run up and down the aisle.  Just a little conversation with us about the trip and a lot of resting… it had been a very busy week and she was exhausted.

So here is the quick recap of the true vs. false part of the comments we heard before our trip.

1.)  Magic Kingdom can be overwhelming for a little one.  TRUE.

Gaby is very tall (38 ½ ) so she could actually get on all of the kid rides however she had no patience for the long waits (best was 30 minutes and some had a wait over an hour long).  She liked a few things so much she didn’t want to get off so that was a struggle because she cried and got mad at us for making her get off the ride and BACK in line. Also, at the park the characters are around so you can meet them BUT there is usually a long line and they only stay about half an hour so if you’re in line but it’s time for them to go they leave and your kid wants to know why there was no payoff for the waiting and why Pinocchio or Snow White or whoever left without greeting them.

2.)  Too young, not worth it. FALSE.

We ran this by our pediatrician.  We told her our plan and asked if she agreed and she surprised us by reminding us that we don’t WAIT to take them to the park until they are older because they can’t play on everything or won’t remember.  She told us that experiences like these are just part of a child’s development so travel, parks, adventures; any new experience is just part of how they learn. Why would we delay or wait on that.  The reality was just that.  She loved so many things about the day at Magic Kingdom that she is still talking about it with us almost nine months later.  Every time she sees the Disney Castle she says, “I went there.  That was fun.  Can we go again?”  She remembers the rides, the parades, and mostly the time spent with us and her grandparents who came with us on the trip.  Seeing her smile and hearing her ask to go back makes it that much more worth it for us.  We may have only been on 4 rides (I don’t know how many times) and watched the two parades but that in itself was worth it.

On another note, I want to explain that she also loved downtown Disney but that her favorite and our most enjoyable part of the trip was the cruise.  She was too young for the kid activities (3 and up) so there was little time for JUST adult fun but we had a blast regardless.  She loved the schedule.  She would ask to go back to the room for a nap.  She looked forward to the shows and the diners and the movies and all the non-stop fun.  She ate great and tried all sorts of foods. 

Another great feature of the cruise was that ALL the characters were on board and you knew exactly when and where you could greet them.  If you got in line you got to greet them no matter how long it would take.  They would cut off the line so as long as you got there before they closed the line you would be able to have your picture taken with the characters including all the princesses, etc.  Great payoff for our little one!  She loved swimming and making sand castles with grandpa and again is still talking about it and asking to go back. 

So in a nutshell… I would highly recommend this trip schedule to anyone.  The cruise was especially nice and we think that the 3 or 4 night one is perfect for the little ones.  Of course if your kids are a little older there are even more reasons to love it since they get to do kid activities and you get to enjoy adult time and this cruise is top notch in every aspect from great beds to excellent food.  It was worth every penny.  We hope to go again when she is a little older but we loved this trip and will forever remember her first time at Disney.

Quick tips for traveling with a toddler

Aside from all the usual prep with food, medicine, carry on clothes, games, and activities for travel here are a few other tips that work wonders for us.  If you need a list of the other items you can review them here.

• Use a CARES air travel harness for kids between 1-4 yrs old and check or rent a car seat for when you arrive.
• Gate check an umbrella or other favorite travel stroller
• With any child older than one, discuss your upcoming trip with your children.  Tell them about the modes of transportation, what order things will happen in, and what you will be doing when you get there. Start this discussion as soon as you can so you might spend a month talking about the trip before you go.
• Show them videos, read books, or review pictures of the places you will go and the forms of transportation you will use. 
• Get them involved.  Ask what they’d like to see or do when you get there.  If they are very young give them two or three choices and let them pick then encourage them to share their “plans” with other family and friends.
• Let them pick items that are to be used specifically for the trip… whether it is a new jacket, a new book, or a new friend give them lots to look forward to.