It's that time again...backpacks, lunchboxes, notebooks and pencils! Whether they are for the kids, or for you (Hey! Who says a home office can't have fun pens?!) Disney is the way to go! Fun touches that remind you of that happy place, and personalize our space!


This year there are some awesome Disney products both in the stores, and online, and we thought we'd point out a few! Whenever possible, I do tend to look online, because it's so much easier to buy it, and nicer to have your stuff be a little different than everyone else, you know? When there are three Minecraft backpacks all lined up in a row that were bought at Walmart, it takes more effort for your kid to grab the right one, than the one that was bought at Amazon, because that one is going to be a little different.

So...lets start browsing!! Click on any picture to go right to Amazon's page for the product. This page does contain affiliate links. 


This backpack is soo adorable, AND such a good price!! It's less than $20!

​​Do your kids like Smencils? Spmencils are long lasting, scented pencils. They even have DISNEY ones!! The price is pretty cheap too! $7.99 for a pack of 5. Just plain ones run around $2 each in our area and are very popular.  

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​I have these exact pens, I splurged on them on our last trip, and the price is almost identical here!  

Breakfast is so important...how about some Mickey Toast or Waffles?  Again, less than $20! 

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​Do you put any Disney into the school year? What do you do?  

If you haven't gone inside of your post office in the last few days, RUN RUN RUN! They have Disney villain stamps there! They are also Forever Stamps, so that means if the postage goes up, the stamps won't need more postage applied. I was excited to be the first person at our Post Office to get a sheet. I even got to see her take them out of the vault! 

Aren't these adorable? I LOVE how even the back has an image, and quotes! Not sure I can bring myself to use these!

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I ask you....is there anything a little Disney CAN'T make better? 

This is part one of a three part series. You can go here to read part two, and ​here for part three. 

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I'll bet you've seen me mention pin trading a time or two (dozen!) and for those of you who know about it, you understand my love! Those of you who have never done it, you are in for a fantastic experience if you do take up Disney pin trading!


What is Disney Pin Trading?


Pin trading is a really fun way to collect mementos of your favorite moments of your Disney vacation, or collect favorite characters, shows or rides, all in lapel pins.




How Does it Work?


It's super simple! First, you buy yourself some trading pins, either online, or at the Disney Parks. From there, you can go and trade them with various Cast Members working at Disney. For example, let's say I have a bunch of pins that I don't really like, but I see a Cast Member wearing a pin lanyard, and on that lanyard I see a Tinkerbell pin I'd like. I go up to the Casts Member, ask if I may see their pins, and ask to trade for that Tinkerbell pin. I give her a pin, and she gives me the Tinkerbell. Super easy!




Is it Expensive to Do?


That all depends. There are people who will spend shockingly large amounts on pins, and there are others (like our family) who will seek out the best possible price and buy the pins in advance of a trip to trade. Pins can be sold individually, starting around $8 each, and there are booster packs containing anywhere between 4 and 8 pins, for around $27. Averaged out, the booster packs are a better deal, but you can also, with a little advance planning, buy those same booster packs online for $10 each or less, making your price per pin drop way down.




What Makes This Good for Kids?


I LOVE watching my kids want to go into a store, just to chase after pins. They get the fun of wandering through the store, but are so focused on trading pins, it's rare they want to stop and buy something. It also helps them to learn good social skills. They gain confidence and get to practice their manners when talking to the Cast Members. It's a great learning opportunity for them, and sometimes, they'll even have a conversation for a few minutes and learn some neat Disney fact, or some other tip the Cast Member tells them.




Do I have to Trade?


Nope! You NEVER have to trade unless you want to! If you are looking at a lanyard and don't see anything you want, just say “Thanks! Nothing this time!” And keep on going.




Who Can I Trade With?


You can trade with any Disney Cast Member wearing a lanyard around their neck, or a pouch at their hip. Stores and restaurants and resorts also have pin boards of varying types you can trade at as well.




What Kinds of Rules Are There?




The most important rule is the pin MUST be an official Disney pin. It must say Disney on the back. These pins will always represent something Disney related, be it a place, attraction or character.




Additional rules are you may trade two pins per cast member, or board per day. With thousands of cast members though, that's a lot of pins to pick from!


You also must not touch the Cast Member's lanyard. The lanyard is usually around their neck, and an excited tug to see their pins might hurt the Cast Member, or even cause the pin backs to fall off and poke someone.




I've Got All These Pins From Trading...Now What?


Now you can find a fun way to display them at home! You can make a pin board, use a pin book, keep them on a lanyard, in a drawer or box, just about anything you want to do! Imagination is the limit and the internet has hundreds of ideas!




Disney Pin Trading is fun, and can be addictive! Like all things, enjoy it in moderation and it not only enhances your trip, but gives you wonderful memories long after!


If you've never traded pins before, I'll have some upcoming parts in this series to give you some ideas of where to buy your pins, and some do's and don't!


If you have traded pins before, can you remember the first pin you ever traded for? Mine was a yellow and red square with Mickey on it!  

Undeniebly, one of the best feelings you can have is when you walk out of a Disney nighttime show with that warm glow, your heart still swelling from the music, and magic crackling all around you. You kind of want that feeling forever. But life happens, and you can't always see the nighttime shows because something always comes up, or maybe you can't even get to Disney often. I know both of those very well. And it stinks.

BUT!! I've found 3 ways to bring back all those memories, and feelings for only $1.29 or less. If it's not one of the best Disney things out there you can buy, well... I don't know what is! 

Without further ado!! 

​#1
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The super fantastic, FANTASMIC exit music!  Just a few seconds of this and it feels like you can relive the whole show. (Including the trying to squeeze out of the stadium!) Seriously though.... this will bring back awesome memories! 

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Click here or on photo above to go directly to sample the music

#2

I know not everyone was ready to say goodbye to Wishes, and you know how Disney stuff can be sometimes, here one day, gone the next, but for right now, for 99 cents you can get the Wishes sing along version, or for $5.99 you can buy all ten tracks of the Wishes show! Relive every single moment whenever you are driving, or doing stuff around the house! 

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Click here or on photo above to go directly to sample the music

#3

The newest Disney World nighttime spectacular had a song created just for it! It really is a good song. We loved watching the live stream. The first time I heard it in person was as we were boarding the Disney bus back to our resort with a sick kiddo. (One of these days I'll get to see it live, right?! Cross your fingers for me please!)

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Click here or on photo above to go directly to sample the music


There you have it... 3 very inexpensive ways to Disney up your day and bring back all those wonderful memories for less than a fancy coffee!

I wonder if they will be releasing the music for the new Pixar symphony. Wouldn't that be great too? 

​Target has recently gotten some fun Disney stuff in their Dollar Spot. Whether you need surprises to pull out on a road trip or activities to keep the littles busy during summer break, they've got you covered!


Check out a few of the fun things I found!  

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​Super cute sunglasses for $3

Cute bags with notepads, a pen, a pencil, a jumbo eraser and stickers.  Both of these came home with  me! There were others as well. $3 each.
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​Bubbles!! They had just about every current popular Disney character available. Only $1 

​Who wouldn't want glow in the dark princesses in their room? I also spotted Finding Dorey.  $3

Star Wars tsum tsums! How cute are they?! Only $1! An absolute steal. 

3 sticker games with reusable stickers. tic tac toe, bingo and four in a row.  Just $1

 




​Sidewalk chalk and a chalk holder for $1, there were so many kinds to choose from. 

    




There were many more other than Star Wars to choose from, this is just what ended up in my basket! $1, and there is a bag of puffy stickers too!

Isn't this so cool?! Star Wars tsum tsum jumbo erasers on a pencil!  You almost feel bad buying it for just $1. 

Memo sheets! What better way to remember to stock up on Disney snacks than to leave a note for yourself? $1 for all this cuteness. 

 Several different kids of these adhesive patches for $1

Plush keychain and cute mini pens, only $1! 

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Just because you have to work doesn't mean you can't have a little magic at your desk! I bought two of these! Just $1 for 50 awesome sheets. 

DIY 2 Frozen bracelets for some summertime fun, and only $3

​Moana body art and tattoos! $3

Finding Dory foam creating set $3

Cute stationary set, $1

There was some other really neat stuff at Target's Dollar Spot, but these were my favorites, and caught my eye for best value, and uniqueness. Which is your favorite?