• Star Wars Birthday Party
    Crafts and DIYs,  Disney Themed Dinners,  Holidays,  May the Fourth

    Star Wars Birthday Party

    Our little Star Wars fan turned three, and we celebrated with a galactic birthday party! Watching our son meet Darth Vader at Walt Disney World inspired this Star Wars birthday party theme.  Seeing him interact with the intimidating Sith lord and channel his own little dark side had me absolutely beaming.  It’s my favorite memory from our trip! Due to much encouragement from me, Ezra has grown into a big fan of Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire.  Don’t get me wrong, he loves the good guys too!  But there’s just something so awesome about the bad guys of Star Wars, so that was the focus for his birthday party.…

  • Noelle Themed Dinner
    Christmas,  Disney Themed Dinners,  Holidays

    Noelle Themed Dinner

    This week, we enjoyed a Christmas themed dinner to the Disney+ holiday comedy, Noelle! Noelle Kringle is the daughter of Santa Claus.  After her father retires, it is Noelle’s job to support her brother (Nick) and ensure he is ready to inherit the Santa role.  Unfortunately, Nick gets cold feet and flees the North Pole.  To save Christmas, Noelle embarks on a search-and-recover mission to retrieve her brother from the unfamiliar world outside the North Pole. Noelle is a charming story full of holiday fun that we look forward to watching every year!  There are several fun food references that inspired me to create this Noelle themed dinner.  Some of…

  • Christmas Vacation Themed Dinner
    Christmas,  Dinner and Movie Nights (Non-Disney),  Holidays

    Christmas Vacation Themed Dinner

    This week’s themed dinner was inspired by the classic holiday comedy, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation! In Christmas Vacation, family man Clark Griswold strives to host the perfect “old-fashioned Christmas” for his family and extended relatives.  But his well-intentioned plans go awry, and mayhem ensues. This film is full of hilarious scenes and quotable moments, not to mention some great food references.  So, this year, I decided to join in on the “old-fashioned Christmas” fun and have a Christmas Vacation themed dinner! Creating our Christmas Vacation themed dinner menu was a lot of fun.  I took inspiration from Clark’s colorful family members as well as several hilarious food references in the…

  • Coraline Themed Dinner
    Dinner and Movie Nights (Non-Disney),  Halloween,  Holidays

    Coraline Themed Dinner

    With spooky season in full swing, we continued our themed dinner nights with a menu inspired by the movie, Coraline! Coraline is one of our favorite movies to watch during our Halloween festivities.  We find ourselves referencing it all year long!  The film is haunting, yet charming, and the perfect basis for a spooky themed dinner. Food is a major factor in the film, as Coraline’s sinister Other Mother uses it to lure Coraline into her idealized fantasy world.  Because of this, I’ve always wanted to create a Coraline themed dinner, but the task was a little daunting.  Other Mother is a legendary cook, after all!  I knew it was…

  • Halloweentown Themed Dinner
    Disney Themed Dinners,  Halloween,  Holidays

    Halloweentown Themed Dinner

    This week, we’re kicking off the spooky season with a special Halloweentown themed dinner! Halloween starts early in our house – too early some may say.  But the way I see it, if Halloween parties are taking place at Disney, then we should be celebrating too! So, to kick-start the Halloween season, we enjoyed a themed dinner to the Disney Channel Original Movie – Halloweentown! To create our Halloweentown dinner menu, I took inspiration from the characters and fun food references in the film. So, grab your broomstick and a witch’s brew as we share our Halloweentown dinner and movie night! Town Square Jack-O’-Lantern Cheeseball The giant jack-o’-lantern in the…

  • Jaws Themed Dinner
    Dinner and Movie Nights (Non-Disney)

    Jaws Themed Dinner

    This week, we enjoyed a shark-themed dinner while watching the cinematic classic – Jaws! My family is all about sharks this time of year.  With Discovery Channel’s Shark Week programming and SharkFest on Disney+ we just can’t seem to get enough of these incredible animals.  Through these programs, we understand that sharks aren’t the man-eating villains that Hollywood would have us believe.  But we still can’t help but love a good shark thriller.  And no shark film is as infamous as “the one that started it all” – Jaws! Now I’ll admit, this themed dinner is a change of pace for us.  Leading up to this point, we’ve enjoyed dinners…

  • The Mandalorian Themed Dinner
    Disney Themed Dinners,  Holidays,  May the Fourth

    Mandalorian Themed Dinner

    This week, we enjoyed a themed dinner featuring our favorite characters from The Mandalorian! Currently in its third season, The Mandalorian has been a pop culture phenomenon ever since it debuted on Disney+.  With its brand new characters and storylines, this fresh take on the Star Wars universe has touched the hearts and minds of viewers all over the world.  As we approach National Star Wars Day on May 4th, I decided now would be the perfect time to plan a themed dinner to enjoy during the latest Mandalorian episode.  Our menu items were directly inspired by the Mandalorian warriors and fan-favorite character – Grogu (aka “Baby Yoda”). * This…

  • Rudolph-the-Red-Nosed-Reindeer-Themed-Dinner
    Christmas,  Dinner and Movie Nights (Non-Disney),  Holidays

    Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Themed Dinner

    This week, we watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer while enjoying a special dinner themed to the film! When I think of a Christmas classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer always comes to mind.  Reflecting on my earliest Christmas memories, I remember being so excited to pop in my recorded Rudolph VHS tape and watch the movie.  Yes, you read that right!  My childhood go-to Christmas movie was recorded straight from TV onto VHS, with Christmas commercials and all.  And in all fairness, those commercials were some of my favorite parts! Fueled by nostalgia, I decided this was the year I would prepare a Rudolph themed dinner for the kids to enjoy. …

  • Haunted-Mansion-Themed-Dinner
    Disney Themed Dinners,  Halloween,  Holidays

    Haunted Mansion Themed Dinner

    Welcome, foolish mortals.  This week, we are wrapping up our Halloween festivities with a Haunted Mansion themed dinner! There’s no doubt about it – the Haunted Mansion is my absolute favorite attraction at the Disney Parks.  This fan-favorite ride takes guests on a spooky tour through a dilapidated estate inhabited by the spirits of the deceased. The Haunted Mansion has developed quite a large and devoted following over the years, and it’s no surprise.  The moment you step through the mansion’s doors, you become totally immersed in the rich storyline.  It’s satisfyingly creepy, but also fun and light-hearted.  Everywhere you look there are amazing details to discover, which makes you…

  • The Wizard of Oz Themed Dinner
    Dinner and Movie Nights (Non-Disney)

    Wizard of Oz Themed Dinner

    This week, we dined over the rainbow while enjoying a Wizard of Oz themed dinner! I adored this film as a child, and still quote it to this day (I DO believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do!).  And, to my dismay, most of my family had no idea what I was referencing!  I knew that was something I had to remedy.  And of course, I had to plan a themed dinner to accompany our movie night. I have always associated The Wizard of Oz with Halloween.  The main villain is a witch, after all!  And with spooky season upon us, I knew this was the perfect time…