Month: August 2016

Getting to Know Me: Disney Edition

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, family fun, Family Vacation, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World

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In a little change of pace, I thought it would be fun to do a little Disney quiz to get to know me a little better, when it comes to Disney and Walt Disney World.

So here are my 53 Disney questions and answers:

1. All Time Favorite Disney Movie: “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” (currently; this changes all the time.)

2. Top Five Disney Movies: “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” “The Little Mermaid” “The Lion King” “Peter Pan” “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”

3. Favorite Princess: Tiana

4. Favorite Prince: Eugene (if he counts as a prince)

5. Favorite Couple: Eglantine Price and Dr. Emelius Brown

6. Favorite Villain: Ursula

7. Favorite Heroine: Tiana

8. Favorite Hero: Aladdin

9. Favorite Sidekick: Mushu

10. Disneyland or Disney World: I have only been to Walt Disney World, so I will choice that one.

11. Favorite Attraction: Splash Mountain

12: Favorite Park inside the Resort (ie EPCOT): Magic Kingdom. To me that is the epitome of Walt Disney World.

13: Favorite land inside of the resort (ie Adventureland): This is a tie either Tomorrowland at night or Frontieerland at night. I love the Magic Kingdom at night. It seems more magical.

14: Favorite Disney Snack: Dole Whip Float

15: Favorite Disney Restaurant: Boma. It is a buffet, so you get to try a bunch of different things; it has many exotic foods that I can’t get at home; and the atmosphere is so beautiful.

16: Favorite attraction/show: Muppet Vision 3D

17: If you had the chance to stay anywhere overnight in the park, where would you stay: The Cinderella Suite in the castle in Magic Kingdom

18: Favorite Character to Interact With: Tiana or Ariel

19: Which character’s handwriting do you wish you had: Tinkerbell’s

20: Which character are you afraid of approaching: No one really

21: Favorite Disney Hotel: Port Orleans French Quarter. The smallest resort means that you are closer to everything. Plus the walk along the river to the sister resort, Port Orleans Riverside is beautiful in the morning.

22: Describe a Typical Day at Disney for You: Get up in the morning, have breakfast. Head to our park of choice, go back to the resort for naps or swimming, have a nice dinner and end the night in the park with late night magic hours.

23: Snow White or Cinderella: Snow White

24: Ariel or Belle? Belle, I love books.

25: Pocahontas or Mulan: Pocahontas

26: Aurora or Rapunzel: Rapunzel. I see a lot of myself in her.

27: Tiana or Jasmin: Tiana

28: Meg or Kida: Meg

29: Stitch or Pooh: Pooh

30: Eugene Fitzherbert or Prince Eric: I gotta go with Gene. Prince Eric is a little too dense for me.

31: Prince Charming or Prince Ferdinand: Who the heck is Ferdinand?

32: Li Shang or John Smith: John Smith. Common Li Shang, you didn’t know he was a woman?

33: Prince Philip or Prince Adam/The Beast: The Beast. Come on, he gave her a library.

34: Prince Naveen or Aladdin: Aladdin. He was brave and bold

35: Genie or Mushu: Genie. He is the absolute favorite of our Mousekatot

36: Hercules or Milo: I gotta go for Milo. I love a guy who uses his brain!

37: Two Characters that Would be Great Friends: Ariel and Kida

38: All Time Favorite Song: This is so tough. I will go with what I am feeling now, which is “At Last I see the Light”

39: Favorite Wardrobe: Tiana’s. Just because of the Lily pad gown at the end.

40: Outfit you wish you had: See above

41: What food from a Disney Movie do you want to try in real life: The rock cakes and bubbling beverage from Return to Oz

42: Character You Look Like: This is tough. Probably Ursula. hahahaha IDK.

43:Whose voice do you wish you had (singing and speaking): Ariel

44: What Disney movie cheers you up: Pirates of the Caribbean or Cars 2

45: What Disney Movie Makes You Sad: Inside Out or Toy Story 3. I refuse to watch these again.

46: What is the Most Underrated Disney Movie: Cars 2. People hate this movie, and I don’t know why. It is funny and isn’t sad at all.

47: Favorite Pixar Movie: Up. This is our movie.

48: Favorite Quote: There are so many, but if I am picking one: “Adventure is Out There” from Up

49: Favorite non-animated Disney Movie: Bedknobs and Broomsticks

50: Best Soundtrack: The Lion King….”Baaaaaahhhhhh zimbwaya!”

51: Last Disney Movie You Watched: The Many Adventures of Winne the Pooh

52: Two Characters Who Would be Enemies: Merida and Jafar because of how he treats women.

53: Two Characters that Should Be Paired Up But Aren’t: Merida and Eugene. They would got on so many adventures together!

Now your turn for some fun: answer your three favorite questions down in the comments below, so we can get to know you.

Thanks to Reillysinneverland for the questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walmart Just Made My Life Easier

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, Family Vacation, home organization, Toddler, Uncategorized

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated for this review. All thoughts are my own.

I really hate grocery shopping. Like HATE it. When we go grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s I don’t mind it as much, but it isn’t one of my favorite activities.

But, this changed thanks to a new service available through Walmart that is currently in the testing stages available only at select Walmarts in the country. Luckily for me, our local store is part of the testing phase.

Our local Walmart is currently offering a service where you can go online, order and pay for your groceries and then have them delivered to your car, all without having to set one foot into the store or even leave your car.

This is perfect if your Mousekatot has meltdowns in the store, if you don’t feel like dragging them into the store or if it is bad weather outside.

You start off by going to Walmart.com/grocery to see if you have a participating store. If there is one, then you are taken to the page where you can order your items.

The format is the same as any other online ordering site. There are menus on the side that divide everything into categories (i.e. dairy, meat, produce, etc.). You can also do a search to find a specific item. Once you find what you are looking for, you click add to cart and choose the quantity of the item.

 

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Have I mentioned how much I love online shopping.

You just keep adding all of your items in your cart and when you are ready, you hit check out.

I will say that we did experience some hiccups when it came to the website. There were issues loading and added some extra time to the online shopping experience.

When Kevin had talked to the guy that was our personal shopper, he said that a lot of people were complaining about that and they are working on making it run smoother.

When you are doing your shopping you have to pick a time for when you want your order ready. You have to pick a time that is the next day. So if you want to pick up your groceries on Sunday, then you need to place your order on Saturday.

When you place your order your receive an email with your confirmation and it says that someone will call you 15 minutes prior to your delivery time, which gives you an hour window. Then you are supposed to call this number back 10 minutes before you arrive to pick up your order.

We didn’t receive a phone call, but that wasn’t a big deal.

When we arrived at Walmart, we followed the signs indicating where the pickup spots were. Once we pulled in we saw a sign with the phone number, called and let the store know that we were here. The person on the other end said they would double check our order, to make sure nothing was forgotten, and would be right out.

 

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Finding the pickup location was super easy.
It only took about 10 minutes and then our personal shopper was coming out of the back of the store with a flatbed cart full of blue plastic boxes that had our groceries.

He then let us know that he had to make a few substitutions because they didn’t have the exact product. It ended up working in our favor because the substitutions were for bigger or better products that we were never charged more money for.

He then asked us to sign saying that we received our items and put everything in the trunk of our car. He wouldn’t let us help. He also said that if we let them know next time, they will bring out a lollypop for our little girl.

We also received this really sweet bag of swag for being a first time customer.

 

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This was a really nice touch to give this to all new first time customers.
Each of the bins at the store had a label on it like this one that is on the end of our toilet paper.

 

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They really had a system in place for making sure all the orders will filled properly.
I was happily surprised that all of our cold items were still cold and our frozen items will still frozen.

This experience that I had with this new test program at Walmart was amazing. We would spend our Saturdays traveling over an hour to get to Trader Joe’s, but now I am very happy to say that we will be shopping at Walmart instead and using the online shopping option.

Since I really like this program, I wanted to share an offer with you. If you click this link you can save $10 on your first order (and additionally get me $10 off my next order).

I highly recommend this program because it has made grocery shopping so much easier.

Would you take advantage of this program? Leave your comments below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tot Five: The Most Important Thing for Parents

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, family fun, Family Vacation, Toddler, Toddler Travel, Uncategorized

 

In yesterday’s post I talked about where to go for a delightful tea. Now, today I want to share with you one of the most important things a parent of a toddler should have in their arsenal, especially when they are at Walt Disney World: coffee.

Not all coffee is created equal at Walt Disney World. Some places have Nescafe coffees while others have full bodied coffee.

If you don’t love Nescafe as much as I do, I seriously love the stuff, here are the tot five best places to grab a cup of caffeine to help you keep up with your tot at Walt Disney World.

 

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Photo courtesy of Kimberly Fydyan.

 

1. Main Street Bakery, Magic Kingdom (Starbucks Location)

When the bakery was converted into a Starbucks location, there was a lot of uproar. Lots of people were upset that the  unique bakery was being turned into another Starbucks location, others were excited because this meant that they could have their favorite Starbucks beverage while wandering the Magic Kingdom.

 

I have heard that the service is quick and wonderful at this location and you can get all your favorite drinks to help you keep up with your little Mousekatot.

2. Kona Café (The Polynesian Village Resort)

Many people report that the best coffee on property can be found inside of the Polynesian Village Resort at the Kona Café.

The 100 percent Kona Coffee is served in a French Press pot. The cost is $8 and serves two. Added bonus, you can get Tonga Toast at this location, so you can’t beat that!

 

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Photo courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog

3. Tea Traders Café by Joffrey’s in Disney Springs

Not everyone gets their caffeine fix from coffee. Black tea can have up to 70mg of caffeine per cup. Joffrey’s is the place to be. They have every type of tea imaginable.

From black, oolong, green, herbal, ect., they have it all. You can also have tea lattes, lose leaf brewed beverages and, for later in the day, alcoholic beverages mixed with tea.

This is the place to get your tea on!

4. Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery (Animal Kingdom Park)

If you are up early connecting with your wild side at the Animal Kingdom theme park, you can get your java fix at the Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery located in the Africa section of the park.

This location offers coffee, both iced and regular, espresso, cappuccino and more.

There are also a variety of pastries to have along with your coffee.

5. Tangierine Café (Epcot

If you want to try something that is a little more exotic than a traditional cup of Joe should head to the Tangierine Café located in World Showcase at Epcot.

You can get a cup of Moorish coffee, coffee with cinnamon; a Casablanca, with vanilla liqueur; the Kasbah with hazelnut liqueur and more.

Which location would you like to get your cup of Joe from at Walt Disney World? Have you tried any of the above listed locations? Leave your comments below.

 

 

 

 

 

Just Like Downton Abby

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, family fun, Family Vacation, Toddler, Toddler Travel, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World

A lot of people think that Walt Disney World is for children and only has amusement park attractions and fast food options.

A hidden gem, that is apparently becoming more discovered because I can’t get reservations for our October trip, is the Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Tea Room at the Grand Floridian.

I have not had the opportunity to try out this tea, but everything I am hearing about it has been positive.

 

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Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World

First of all you get to have a dining experience at the Grand Floridian, which starts your dining experience off on the right foot.

The Garden View Tea Room is surrounded by windows that offer a beautiful view of the grounds of the hotel.

After being seated you have a big decision to make.

There are different tea services that offer different foods, beverages and price points.

 

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Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World

 

The Bedfordshire Tea offers three courses. First course: Medley of finger sandwiches accompanied with berries, cheese and lavosh; Second Course: Buttery Scone and Jam Tart; Finale: Choice of delicate House-made Pastries, Strawberries and Crème or English Trifle; and choice of tea. Cost per guest is $30.

The Derbyshire Tea is the same as the Bedfordshire Tea with the addition of a glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne for $45.

The Cheshire Tea is the same as Bedfordshire Tea with an addition course of exotic fruits and imported cheeses added for $48.

The Yorkshire Tea, which is created to share with another person, kicks it up a notch. The First Course is North American Caviar with Traditional Accompaniments; Second Course: Medley of finger Sandwiches accompanied with Berries, Cheese and Lavosh; Third Course: Buttery Scone and Jam Tart; Finale: Choice of delicate House-made Pastries, Strawberries and Crème or English Trifle. Also included are two glasses of the champagne and two pots of tea for $175.

The Berkshire Tea is also for two and is the same as the Yorkshire minus the champagne for $150.

The littlest “Tea Toddlers” aren’t forgotten. They have their own special Mrs. Pots Tea, for ages three to nine.

The first course is assorted tea sandwiches including Tuna Salad, Ham & Cheese and Peanut Butter and Jelly on White Bread. Second Course is a Jam Tart and the Finale is Delicate House-made Pastries. Mrs. Pot’s Tea also comes with special “Dark Tea,” Chocolate Milk. It is $13 per guest. If you want tea instead of the milk it is an additional $3.

Speaking of the tea, it really is the star of the show.

The tea selections rotate seasonally.

There is a wide selection of greens, whites, blacks, oolongs and herbal teas to choose from.

The most unique option of the tea menu are the signature blends. These blends can only be savored at The Garden View Tea Room and are created by a Master Tea Blender.

If you are a lover of tea then this experience would be for you. If you have ever wanted to experience what a high tea would be like, this experience is also for you.

It is a little pricey, but from the reviews that I have read it seems like everyone has been very pleased with their experience.

The Beach Club has also recently been offering a more relaxed tea in their Crescent Solarium. However, it is only sporadic so you will want to call 407-WDW-DINE to find out the dates and costs for the various teas.

Would you be interested in experiencing a high tea while you are on vacation at Walt Disney World? Leave a comment below.

 

 

 

 

 

Food and Wine Fest: Taste of the Islands

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, Family Vacation, Toddler, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World

It is hard to believe that summer is almost over. It is even harder to believe that the annual Epcot Food and Wine Festival will be here in a few short weeks.

Each year, the festival is jam packed with tons of new and exotic food booths, demonstrations, cooking classes, special events, concerts and more.

I wanted to take the time to occasionally spotlight something special that the festival has to offer.

For me, I love the new food booths that are not offered typically during the course of the regular year at Epcot.

One of the booths that looks interesting at the festival this year is the Islands of the Caribbean booth.

 

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Photo courtesy of Disney Food Blog

This year’s menu looks like it has four menu items that are three entrees and one dessert plus three beverages.

The dishes protein selection are pork, beef and fish.

The first dish is Mojo Pork with black beans, cilantro rice and pickled red onions. It sounds like this entrée would be enough to feed one person.

Jamaican Beef patty really doesn’t have a whole lot of a description.

The Pescado con Coco sounds interesting. If you like fish this might be something up your alley. It is a seared grouper with pigeon peas and rice with coconut sauce. The coconut sauce sounds like it would be interesting and add sort of a curry/Thai flavor to the dish.

For a sweet treat that the end the booth will a quesito, a puff pastry filled with sweetened creamed cheese, fried and then drizzled with a guava sauce.

Not to be out shone by all of the delicious food, the booth will also feature some tasty adult beverages.

Even though the Food and Wine Festival takes place during autumn, Florida is still pretty darn hot during the day. A sweet and ice cold beverage can help you beat the heat.

The frozen mojito, sounds like an icy and creamy treat that would be a great accompaniment to the Mojo Pork that sounds like it might have a little bit of a kick.

If I were to choose I would select the Caribbean Sangria. I am a big fan of sangrias and I am sure this will have tons of fruit and a tropical twist.

Also, you beer drinkers, you aren’t forgotten about. The booth also offers the Presidente Pilsner.

Which item are you most excited to try? Leave your comments below.

 

 

 

 

 

Weekend Recap

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, family fun, Family Vacation, Pittsburgh, Toddler, Toddler Travel, Uncategorized

We have started to shop for our upcoming trip and trying to snag some end of summer deals before they are all gone.

The day was started out at the place the furnished almost our entire home, Ikea. (When you are newlyweds living at home, you need to buy a bunch of stuff, Ikea is the place.)

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I could seriously spend all day here!

We didn’t buy anything, but I did get to see the kitchen that I absolutely love.

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I am in love with this kitchen. Although, I could never have glass cabinets. I couldn’t keep them neat enough.

 

Before we left we did get a few pretzels because Lily didn’t eat much breakfast so you know, the best thing to do is give her a carb.

But, it did provide me with this wonderful photo of the hubby as he said, “Look, I’m a boxer” as he shoved this portion of a pretzel in his mouth.

 

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I seriously love this man.

We did score some great bargains. (The Mousekatot is the one that got the most stuff, as usual.)

I wanted to do Disney Bounding with her outfits (where you take a lose interpretation of a Disney character and dress like that. For example, a white sparkly skirt with a pale blue shirt could be Cinderella.)

While I was shopping I was looking at different shorts and skirts on sale and I couldn’t help but see how much of a difference in size there is in toddler clothing.

*Pulls out soapbox*

Look, as everyone I am sure would agree there is such an issue with body image for girls and women. You are expected to be a certain size and that size should be the same across the board in all the different stores. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Here is a pair of shorts and a skirt that are the exact same size.

 

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Same size. Same store.

So if these sizes were for an older girl, maybe in her preteens, and she tries on the red shorts and they don’t fit and she starts to feel self-conscious because she thinks she went up a size. But, she isn’t mature enough to understand how sizing works in the fashion industry.

It just stinks that this size issue is happening in sizes 4T. That is outrageous!

*Steps off of soapbox and puts it away*

After shopping we went out to eat at Bucca di Beppo. We love it there because we can get a nice big, family style meal and we don’t have to worry about wasting food with Lily.

 

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We wanted to show off our drawing of a zucchini.

We ended our Saturday by doing our grocery shopping because we are just a bunch of crazy kids.

It appears that that time of year is now upon us.

 

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I will admit, I do enjoy Pumpkin Spice Season.

How was your weekend, did you go on any fun adventures this weekend? Leave your comments below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attraction Spotlight: Mine Train-All Hype?

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, family fun, Family Vacation, Toddler, Toddler Travel, Uncategorized

When attractions first open at Walt Disney World it takes a while before the wait times seem to die down. (With some of the more popular rides the lines can still be long years later.)

Now in its toddler stage, The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train located in the new area of Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom, still proves to be very popular and has wait times of up to about 100 minutes some days.

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Photo courtesy of dadsguidetowdw.com

The ride is a coaster in the same vein as Big Thunder Mountain just a land away in Frontierland. It has a height requirement of 38 inches.

You board a train car that is situated on a pivot that causes the car to swing back and forth while it goes around sharp turns.

There aren’t any harnesses or a belt but a narrow lap bar that you pull down. (While many of the attractions at Walt Disney World are built to accommodate the flufflier crowd, these lap bars can be uncomfortable for people who might require some extra space.)

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Photo courtesy of Easywdw.com

 

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Photo courtesy of Visitorlando.com

 

The theming in the queue is amazing. It is interactive and you feel like you are heading to the jewel mines with your fellow dwarfs. There are some really cute interactive games that help you pass the time. (There are also fans scattered through out the line that help move the air around while you wait.)

While the concept is cute and the queue is fun, in my opinion I really don’t think the ride is worth the hype.

To be fair I have only been on the ride once, just the hubby and me, and I would not invest a long time waiting in line again.

The first problem for me is because the ride is incredibly short. The ride is only three minutes long. If you figure you wait in line for 100 minutes the payoff isn’t the great.

The second issue I have is that the animatronics and the “scenes” are only for one brief section. It is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but I was expecting more. Before I knew it, it was over.

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Photo courtesy of thedibb.co.uk

If you can score a Fastpass+ for the attraction and you have never experienced it, then give it a shot and form your own opinion.

When we go to “the world” in October, I currently don’t have this on our Touring Plan to do. I just feel that for us, and the age of our Mousekatot, we would be better served enjoying other attractions instead.

For a complete listing of all the attractions all over Walt Disney World, pick up your copy of Mousekatots.

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Have you been on the mine train at the Magic Kingdom? What are your thoughts? Leave them below.

Tot Five: Family Flicks

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, family fun, Toddler, Uncategorized

Summertime is the season for blockbusters. Whether it is action flicks, comedies, horror and animated soon-to-be classics, movies are a big deal this time of the year.

If you are anything like us, the thought of taking your toddler to a movie theater has you on pins and needles. Will they sit still? How much popcorn are they going to dump on the floor? What are they going to yell at the screen?

We found that going to a drive-in was the best bet because she could do whatever she wanted to do in the confines of our car and not bother anyone.

Another way to enjoy a family movie is in the comfort of your own home. You can pause the film for potty breaks (not just for the toddler), load up on snacks and popcorn just a few feet away from your TV and you have the best seat in the house.

Here are our Tot Five picks for Family Flicks for your movie night that might not be on your radar.

5. Sammy the Way Out Seal

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Photo courtesy of Pinterest

My mom was a teacher for many, many years. When she would have an end of the year party for her students she would always show them “Sammy the Way Out Seal.”

One time when she rented the video (this is how old school this is) I sat down and watched it and I loved it. I laughed really hard at parts and the retro feel to the film is so endearing.

I have always been a huge fan of the live-action Disney films from the previous generations so this was destined to be a hit for me.

4. The Sound of Music

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Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

This is a classic! Just seeing the title brings to mind the opening scene of Maria spinning in an open field in the mountains.

The songs are catchy and the tale is timeless.

Just be warned that your Mousekatots will probably end up sing the “Doe a Deer” song for days on end.

3. The Little Rascals (the movie)

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Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

 

So, I came across this movie that came out when I was young. It was as cute as I remembered it. There is also a sequel that came out a few years ago that is also really cute.

Both films are currently on Netflix. You could even make a double feature!

2. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

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Photo courtesy of Disney

We watched this movie for the first time last weekend and I loved it!

It was funny and really entertaining, I laughed quite a bit, and something that parents will enjoy as much as the kids.

It is currently available for free onDemend for Direct TV customers.

1. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

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Photo courtesy of Alabamatheatre.com

This movie earns the number one distinction because it is my all time favorite movie ever since I was little!

My poor grandmother who would babysit me would be subjected to watching this movie on repeat. (To this day I know the whole film word by word.)

Just beware of the tunnel scene in the middle of the film. It is so random and terrifying, and contains some graphic images that should be skipped. (It is often featured in compilations for scariest horror scenes ever.)

In my opinion this version is so much better than the remake that featured Johnny Depp.

What are your favorite films for family movie night? Leave your comments below.

 

 

 

 

 

This is How You Can Make Painting Even Messier

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, family fun, Toddler, Uncategorized

If you saw my earlier post we do a lot of crafts here in the house.

Pinterest has plenty of suggestions on how to make some really cute crafts that are perfect for rainy days and when it is too hot outside.

A couple of different posts that I found talked about salt painting. Basically you draw something in white glue, and then sprinkle salt on top, let it dry and then paint the salt with watercolors.

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It was really a simple craft, however it was super messy.

The biggest suggestion I have is that you put a piece of paper towel down, then your construction paper on a cookie sheet with sides. It will make it a lot easier to dump the excess salt later.

I decided to draw fireworks with the glue because I thought it would nice for the different colors.


After drawing the firework design, Lily helped me by sprinkling (aka dumping) the salt over the glue.


Because I wanted to speed things up I used a hairdryer to help dry the glue and salt mixture. I then shook off the excess glue and dumped the salt.

You then paint the salt/glue with watercolors and voila, you have a fun craft project.


I also used the hair dryer again after we were finished to sop up the extra water created from continuous brush dunking into the water cup.

This was a big hit with Lily. She loved it and was excited to show everyone her fireworks when they come into the house.


Now is a great time to stock up on craft supplies because of back to school time.

What are your favorite crafts for this time of year? Leave your comments below.

 

Dolly Parton, How ’bout That

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Books for Toddlers, Toddler, Uncategorized

If you haven’t been able to guess by now, reading is really important to our family.

I remember going shopping with my parents and my grandmother when I was little and I would often go to the bookstore with my Dad while my Mom and Grandmother went to look for clothes.

Each summer I would look forward to going to the library with my Mom to pick out new books each week to read.

Both my husband and I are trying to instill the love of reading to our Mousekatot.

In previous entries I have talked about some of our favorite books and other things connected to reading, but I really wanted to do an entry about what I think is a really great program: The Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

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Photo courtesy of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

The program, that is available in various communities throughout the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Once you find out if your child is eligible by going here you can register them for the program.

The program is open to children from birth to age five and each month they will receive a free book in the mail. So by the time your kiddo is five they can have 60 books which makes a really nice collection.

We have received a variety of both paperback and hardcover books from the program. They are all chosen based on age and reading level that would be appropriate for your child.

If you have not checked to see if your child is eligible or you haven’t signed up your child yet, you should really consider the program.

 

It is a great way to grow a wonderful library for your little Mousekatot without draining your bank account.