Desert Chica

Southern Arizona Blogger

Free Baby Yoda Valentines

byKaren•

Are you ready for the cutest Baby Yoda valentines? Check out these free printable Baby Yoda valentines featuring The Child and Mando exchanging their own valentines.

I know everyone will want to give and receive adorable Baby Yoda Valentines Day cards this year. He is everyone’s favorite child because he’s so cute not matter what he does even while eating baby frog eggs. 🙂

Baby Yoda Valentines
Your kids will love these free printable Grogu Valentines

Baby Yoda Valentine Cards

I have four different Baby Yoda Valentine’s Day card options. Basically there are two different text options and two different size options. I really wanted to use the Mandalorian phrase, “This is the Way” on my cards, so that’s the first text option.

Then I simplified it for anyone that hasn’t actually watched The Mandalorian yet (but why??). Or maybe you just like to keep things simple, so there is also a “Happy Valentine’s Day” option as well. 

Paper trimmer with printed Baby Yoda Mandalorian Valentines
Use a paper trimmer to cut your printed Baby Yoda Mandalorian Valentines

You can print 4 cards to a page or 8 cards to page. I love the bigger valentines because it means a bigger Baby Yoda and Mando. If you want to save money on ink and card stock, or simply prefer the more typical smaller cards for exchanging with friends, then print the 8 to a page option. 

Star Wars Baby Yoda Valentines

I recommend printing the valentines on white card stock. I also like cutting them apart with my paper trimmer because I am terrible with scissors. 🙂 Of course scissors will totally work if that’s all you have on hand.

Ready to print your own Baby Yoda Mandalorian valentines?

Download and Print: Baby Yoda Mandalorian Valentines’ Day Cards

Extra Special Baby Yoda Mandalorian Valentines

If your kiddo loves adding a fun extra to their Valentine’s day cards like candy or an inexpensive toy, then I’ve got great ideas for you! A little chocolate heart is the easiest and most obvious treat to attach to the back of each valentine. 

chocolate hearts with star wars valentines featuring baby yoda and mandalorian
Exchange chocolate heart candy just like Baby Yoda and Mando on Valentine’s Day.

Free Baby Yoda Valentines with frogs

If you want to avoid sugar, then a fun frog toy is the better option. We attached plastic frogs to our Hoppy Valentine’s Day cards a few years ago. The jumping frogs are a simple toy that everyone has fun playing it.

I also know for a fact that Baby Yoda would prefer to give frogs to his friends. If you haven’t watched The Mandalorian yet, then you might not understand why. But trust me, Baby Yoda loves frogs. 😉 I found a set of jumping frog toys at my Target’s Dollar Spot but they can be ordered easily on Amazon as well.

Another sugar free option is to include adorable Grogu stickers like these from Etsy or Amazon.

plastic frog toys with Baby Yoda Valentines
Attach plastic frog toys to the back of the Baby Yoda valentines for an extra surprise.

By the way the adorable graphic of Baby Yoda and Mandalorian was drawn for me by my friend Kate. She is super talented and you can check out more of her work on her website. She also has a fun set of valentines featuring The Child eating a frog. He prefers frogs to chocolate. 😉

Baby Yoda Bag Topper with Baby Yoda Cookie
Adorable Baby Yoda Bag Topper for Valentine’s Day

If you plan on making Baby Yoda treats to pass out to your valentines, check out these sweet Baby Yoda bag toppers from Sweet Jenny Belle

More about Baby Yoda and The Mandalorian

Ok, if you live under a rock and have never heard of ‘Baby Yoda’ or ‘The Child’, then you haven’t watched the new live action Star Wars show, The Mandalorian on Disney+. If you like Star Wars, even a little bit, you must watch the show. And if you don’t like Star Wars… what is wrong with you??!? 😉 Just kidding. I do think everyone will love ‘Baby Yoda’ though. 

Two printed copies of baby yoda valentines
Two Baby Yoda with Mando valentines day cards

Who is Baby Yoda?

Baby Yoda is a child that the Mandalorian (a bounty hunter) is paid to collect. He is an adorable young thing that looks a lot like Jedi Master Yoda. It was revealed in Season 2 of the Mandalorian that his name is Grogu.

Is Baby Yoda actually Yoda?

As soon as ‘Baby Yoda’ appeared in episode 2 of The Mandalorian, everyone wanted to know if ‘The Child’ was actually baby Yoda? Nope because of the timeline. The Mandalorian is set 5 years after Return of the Jedi, so The Child can’t actually be baby Yoda. He could be related to him though, or just one of the same type of species. We just don’t know yet.

How old is Baby Yoda?

In season 1 of the Mandalorian on Disney+, Baby Yoda is 50 years old. 

Where is Baby Yoda From?

We don’t  know where Baby Yoda is actually from. And  because we also don’t know where Jedi Master Yoda is from, we can’t even take a guess. Baby Yoda was found on Arvala-7, at a military compound designed to protect him. Why he was there, we don’t know yet.

More Baby Yoda DIY Ideas

More Star Wars Valentines

Phineas and Ferb Pumpkins

byKaren•

My boys are big Phineas and Ferb fans, they’ve watched every episode at least 5 times. Naturally, we loved watching the new Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe that premiered on Disney+ recently. The movie sparked a few crafty ideas for me including these Phineas and Ferb Pumpkins!

Phineas and Ferb Pumpkins

DIY Phineas and Ferb Pumpkins

Using a few more of my favorite crafting pumpkins, we made some super cute Phineas and Ferb pumpkins. They were fairly easy to make using the characters distinct color scheme and a few key details.

I recommend printing Phineas and Ferb images to use as templates for their hair, eyes and Ferb’s collar. You could freehand draw these as well but you know I prefer the easy route, and I am not an artist. 🙂

Ferb Face details for Phineas and Ferb pumpkins

How to make a Phineas Pumpkin

Phineas Pumpkin Craft

Phineas Pumpkin Craft

Yield: Phineas Pumpkin

Use small pumpkins and craft supplies to make this Phineas pumpkin for Halloween this year.

Materials

  • 3 small craft pumpkins
  • paint: blue, yellow, cream
  • craft foam: red, white blue
  • orange duct tape

Tools

  • glue gun
  • scissors

Instructions

  1. Start by painting 3 equal sized (small) pumpkins. Paint one blue, one yellow and one cream. It may take several coats of paint to completely cover the pumpkins.
  2. Cut strips of orange duct tape in thirds lengthwise. Add the stripes of orange to the yellow pumpkin to mimic Phineas' shirt.
  3. Google an image of Phineas and print to use as a template for his eyes and hair.
  4. Use white and blue craft foam to create Phineas' eyes. Use tape, glue dots or a glue gun to attach them together.
  5. Cut Phineas' hair out of red craft foam. Staples or tape extra red craft foam to the back of the hair to help it attach it to the top of the cream colored pumpkin.
  6. Hot glue the pumpkins together and then glue the eyes to the front of the cream pumpkin.

Recommended Products

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Did you make this project?

Take a picture and tag @karenheffren or #DesertChica!

© KarenHeffren

You could make these with real pumpkins but I craft pumpkins are easier to work with and we will get to enjoy these fun Disney pumpkins next year too.

How to make a Ferb Pumpkin

Ferb Pumpkin Craft

Ferb Pumpkin Craft

Yield: Ferb Pumpkin

Use small pumpkins and craft supplies to make a Ferb Pumpkin for Halloween this year.

Materials

  • 3 small craft pumpkins
  • paint: yellow, purple, cream
  • craft foam: white, green and black

Tools

  • glue gun
  • scissors

Instructions

    1. Start by painting 3 equal sized (small) pumpkins. Paint one purple, one yellow and one cream. It may take several coats of paint to completely cover the pumpkins.
    2. Google an image of Ferb and print to use as a template for his eyes, hair, and shirt collar.
    3. Use white and black craft foam to create Ferb's eyes. Use tape, glue dots or a glue gun to attach them together.
    4. Cut Ferb's hair out of green craft foam. Staples or tape extra green craft foam to the back of the hair to help it attach it to the top of the cream colored pumpkin.
    5. Hot glue the pumpkins together.
    6. Hot glue the eyes to the front of the cream pumpkin and the collar to the front of the yellow pumpkin.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Did you make this project?

Take a picture and tag @karenheffren or #DesertChica!

© KarenHeffren

Phineas and Ferb Crafts

You could make these for a Phineas and Ferb themed party as well. I think making a Perry pumpkin would be necessary though. Maybe I will make him next year.

Check back for more Phineas and Ferb crafts soon, including our Beaver Pete shirt. Don’t get the reference? Go watch Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe on Disney+!

More Pumpkin Ideas

The Mandalorian Pumpkin

byKaren•

Our Baby Yoda pumpkin needed a guardian, so the boys and I came up with a simple Mandalorian pumpkin idea. It’s the perfect Star Wars craft for this Halloween.

Star Wars painted Pumpkins for Halloween

DIY Mandalorian Pumpkin

This is another super easy no carve pumpkin idea. It doesn’t even take amazing painting skills either. Basically it’s just grey paint with a few key details. In fact I was only going to turn one pumpkin into Mando’s helmet but Quinn insisted that he had to be taller than our Baby Yoda pumpkin, so we added a second pumpkin and a little more detail. It turned out great!

Easy Mandalorian Pumpkin Tutorial

I love the small craft pumpkins you can buy at Dollar Tree but my other favorite pumpkin option is the old school plastic candy buckets. Many stores only sell plain buckets now, but sometimes you can find the pumpkin shaped ones at discount stores. Yard sales and thrift stores are also a great place to find old pumpkin shaped buckets.

Orange pumpkin bucket with paint and duct tape

The Mandalorian pumpkin needed to be larger than the Baby Yoda pumpkin, so instead of 2 small craft pumpkins, I used two candy bucket pumpkins for Mando. By the way, placing the smaller craft pumpkin on top of the larger pumpkin bucket also works great for certain pumpkin styles like the BB-9E pumpkin and Incredibles pumpkin.

Mandalorian Pumpkin Supplies

Beyond two pumpkin candy buckets, you also need grey paint, brown craft foam, black and silver duct tape, the Mandalorian helmet template and a glue gun. You could actually paint the helmet design if you want to skip using black duct tape but I didn’t want to worry about messing it up. Plus duct tape is one of my favorite craft supplies. 🙂

Mandalorian Pumpkin Bandolier

The one key detail I wanted to add to Mando besides his helmet was his bandolier. I really wanted to keep this pumpkin craft simple and I had to remind myself of that when I was planning the pumpkin details. You could add additional armor or leather details but my crafts tend to do better when I do less instead of more.

My bandolier is simply brown craft foam and silver duct tape, glued to the front of the bottom pumpkin. It’s simple but effective and easy for most people to create. Don’t forget my trick when cutting duct tape. Check out detailed instructions to make the Mandalorian Pumpkin below.

Mandalorian Pumpkin

Mandalorian Pumpkin

Yield: 1 Mandalorian Pumpkin

Celebrate Halloween and season 2 of The Mandalorian this year with an easy Manalorian pumpkin.

Materials

  • 2 Pumpkin candy buckets
  • Grey paint
  • Black duct tape
  • Parchment paper
  • Silver duct tape
  • Brown craft foam

Tools

Instructions

  1. Paint both pumpkin buckets grey. It may take several coats of paint for coverage.
  2. Print out the Mandalorian helmet template. Trace the image on parchment paper. Cover the back of the parchment paper with strips of black duct tape, ensuring the entire image is covered. Flip it back over and cut out the design.
  3. Attach the helmet design to one of the painted pumpkins.
  4. Cut a strip of brown craft foam to use for the bandolier. I cut my rectangular craft foam in half lengthwise to create a longer strip. Use duct tape on the back to attach the the strips together.
  5. Add thin strips of silver duct tape to the bandolier for additional detail.
  6. Use a hot glue gun to attach the bandolier to the second pumpkin. Then glue the top pumpkin to the bottom pumpkin.

    Did you make this project?

    Take a picture and tag @karenheffren or #DesertChica!

    © KarenHeffren

    The Mandalorian Season 2

    Can’t wait to see more of the Mandalorian in action? You are in luck, The Mandalorian, season 2 arrives on Disney+ starting October 30th. If you haven’t watched it yet, then be sure to binge season 1 before season 2 starts!

    More No Carve Pumpkin Ideas

    DuckTales Costumes

    byKaren•

    Our family costume theme last year was Disney’s DuckTales. DuckTales costumes is a great group Halloween costume theme because there are lots of characters in the DuckTales universe.

    DIY DuckTales Costume Ideas

    We had a lot of Duckburg citizens represented during our annual family Halloween party. Most of our costume inspiration came from the updated 2017 DuckTales version. You’ll find the following costume tutorials below: Scrooge, Mrs. Beakley, Flintheart Glomgold, Magica De Spell, Magica’s shadow, Lena (a new character) and the Beagle Boys.

    Additional DuckTales costume ideas include Donald, Daisy, Huey, Duey and Louey, Webbie, Ma Beagle, and Launchpad McQuack.

    How to Make DuckTales Costumes

    All of the costumes listed below are ones my family made for our annual Halloween party. Check out the tutorials but if you prefer I’ve also seen a few DuckTales costumes you can purchase online. You know that I like the DIY route best but I won’t judge you if you just want to buy them!

    4 peoples dressed up as Beagle Boys from Disney's DuckTales

    DIY Beagle Boys Costume

    • red t-shirt
    • black “B” (felt or duct tape works great)
    • black eye masks
    • green hats
    • jeans

    I always thought my cat burglar costume was one of the easiest costumes ever but the Beagle Boys costume is even easier. They were a no brainer choice for my husband and oldest son because we would be dressing up as Duck Tales characters during Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash and also at our annual family themed costume party.

    I share the costume details in the my Beagle Boys costume post but the gist of it is a green hat, a red shirt with a black “B” on it, jeans and a black eye mask.

    DuckTales costumes

    DIY Magica Costumes

    Magica De Spell is a major villain in DuckTales. She is an evil sorceress that is obsessed with obtaining Scrooge’s Number One Dime. We ended up with 2 different Magica De Spell costumes for our Duck Tales family theme. I dressed up as regular Magica from the DuckTales 2017 reboot.

    Magica De Spell Costume

    Magica wears a long black dress with black cape with purple lining. I already owned a long black sundress that worked well for a warm Arizona (and Disneyland) Halloween party. I bought a plain black Dracula cape and lined it with purple fabric. To avoid sewing, I just used Fabric Fusion which is like a fabric glue. My lining wasn’t perfect, but it worked out pretty well.

    Magica also wears a purple amulet, long black gloves and has purple streaks in her hair. I found purple hair extensions at a local dollar store and hot glued them to a black headband. I attempted to clip them to my hair but they wouldn’t stay in place; the headband was the perfect solution. To create the amulet, I covered a piece of round cardboard with leftover purple fabric and stapled a simple chain to the back.

    DuckTales character costumes

    Magica’s Shadow Costume

    My mom loves to be the scariest thing she can be within our family costume theme. Magica’s shadow was the scariest thing we could find in DuckTales. This was a tough costume to DIY because basically it’s just a black shadow version of Magica with glowing red eyes and claw like nails.

    My mom found a long sleeve black dress that she paired with a black turtle neck for maximum skin coverage. A black body suit might work well underneath a black dress as well. She added red gel clings (the kind you decorate mirrors with during the holidays) to create red eyes on black face mask. This allowed her to still see when wearing the mask. She found creepy witch hands with long nails at a dollar store and painted them black. A black wig finished the look.

    DuckTales Costume Family Meets Daisy Duck dressed as a witch at Disneyland's Oogie Boogie Bash

    DuckTales Lena Costume

    Lena is a new character to the DuckTales universe, introduced during the 1st season of the reboot show. Introduced as Magica’s niece, it turns out she is more of a reluctant spy for Magica, I don’t want to give any more details but she starts out as a bad guy but really is a good guy.

    Her outfit consists of an oversized light teal shirt, black and grey striped sweater and bright green converse shoes. She also has a wide stripe of pink hair if you can pull that off. Elliot’s hair was pretty dark, so it came out more like a dark red/pin stripe. Lena and Magica wear the same amulet, so I made a second one just like above with leftover purple fabric, cardboard and a glue gun. Then we covered a pair of converse with bright green duct tape.

    DIY Scrooge McDuck Costume

    For a Scrooge costume you need a red jacket (with black accents), a black top hat and black cane. Scrooge of course doesn’t wear pants but I recommend you include them in your costume. No need to scare the neighbors. 😉

    Instead of a red jacket, we opted for a long sleeve red shirt and added details using black duct tape. Add a wide silver ribbon to a black top hat and that was all the DIY we had to do. I’d recommend buying a black cane, or painting it black which we forgot to do. 🙂

    2 DuckTales costumes

    Easy Mrs. Beakley Costume

    • light purple button down shirt
    • darker purple cardigan
    • grey skirt
    • darker grey tights
    • white apron
    • large glasses
    • white gloves
    • turquoise necklace

    A few key costume pieces of a Mrs. Beakley costume is a purple sweater, grey skirt, white apron and large glasses. You may already own or can borrow most of the costume pieces for Mrs. Beakley. If you hair is long enough, put it up in a bun. The only DIY we had to do for this costume was the white apron which is fairly distinctive.

    white apron

    I cut a large rectangle (eyeballing the size) out of scrap white fabric. Make it a little larger than you need to because you need to cut scalloped edges on three sides and fold the top over when adding strap around the waist. I cut a long piece to create the strap and 2 smaller squares to create pockets. You could sew all the pieces together but I used Fabric Fusion.

    Flintheart Glomgold Costume

    • green and gold plaid kilt
    • blue jacket
    • green golf hat with orange pompom
    • brown vest
    • brown cane
    • glasses

    Scrooge has several enemies besides Magica, one of them is Flintheart Glomgold. He wears a green plaid kilt and golf hat along with a navy sports coat. Finding the perfect plaid kilt or skirt is possible if you have time and enjoy thrifting. We didn’t have enough time but found a green and blue plaid skirt that worked fairly well. A navy jacket, brown vest and cane were also found at a thrift store.

    golf cap, ball of yarn and duct tape

    We did DIY Flintheart’s golf hat using duct tape and yarn. Take an existing golf hat and cover it in green duct tape then attach an oversized orange pompom on top. There are lots of tutorials online for making a yarn pom pom, just make sure it’s extra large.

    DuckTales costumes

    How To Plan a Walt Disney World Trip

    byKaren•

    With so many new developments happening in regards travel, it can be hard to know when you should plan your next vacation. Luckily, my friends at Get Away Today have all of the best tips and updated information on how to plan a Walt Disney World trip, so you don’t have to stress. With their expert advice, you’ll be able to confidently plan your next vacation in no time. 

    How to Plan a Walt Disney World Trip During COVID-19

    As I’m sure you’re aware, the Walt Disney World Resort has been temporarily closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis since March 15, 2020. However, the Walt Disney World Resort will begin a phased reopening on July 11, 2020 for Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. This opening will be followed by EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15, 2020.

    Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

    Walt Disney World Resort Heath & Safety Measures 

    First and foremost, I highly encourage everyone to only travel when they feel safe to do so. Everyone is at a different comfort level when it comes to travel and that’s totally okay! However, if you’re not sure if Walt Disney World is safe, you should feel confident knowing that Disney has implemented enhanced health guidelines for everyone to follow during COVID-19. Below, I’ve placed just some of the measures the Walt Disney World Resort is taking to ensure the safety of both guests and Cast Members: 

    • Temperature screenings are required for entry to the Resort.
    • Park attendance will be limited and managed through the Disney Park Pass reservation system.
    • Face coverings are required for all guests (ages 2 and older) and Cast Members.
    • Enhanced cleaning procedures will be implemented throughout the Resort.
    • Adjustments will be in place to promote physical distancing.
    • Experiences will be modified to reduce as much contact as possible.
    New health and safety measures implemented at Walt Disney World (Matt Stroshane)

    Walt Disney World Resort Ticket Types 

    Typically, guests can choose between a couple of different Walt Disney World ticket types when visiting the Resort. However, due to recent changes, guests can only purchase Walt Disney World Base Tickets. As of right now, Park Hopping is not allowed at the Walt Disney World Resort in order to promote physical distancing as much as possible. Additionally, Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park will remain temporarily closed. I’ll be sure to update this page as soon as I receive additional information.  

    Walt Disney World Resort Reservations

    Due to limited capacity at the Resort, reservations are required to visit Walt Disney World for the foreseeable future. Because of this, all guests with an admission ticket will be required to make a reservation in advance for each Park entry using the new Disney Park Pass system. To enter a Park, both a Park reservation and a valid theme park admission ticket are required for each person (ages 3 and up) in your party. 

    With the new Disney Park Pass system, the number of reservations you can hold at one time depends on your plans. I’ve placed a few of these scenarios below: 

    • Guests staying at one of the Disney Resort Hotels will be able to make reservations for their length of stay.
    • Annual Passholders can make theme park reservations for up to 3 days at a time. Note that if an Annual Passholder is staying at a Disney Resort Hotel, they will be able to make reservations for their length of stay. 
    • Existing ticket holders can make reservations for the number of days of their theme park admission tickets.

    Currently, Park reservations are available through September 26, 2021. 

    Walt Disney World Resort Hotels 

    One of the perks of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel is having the peace of mind to know that your room will be thoroughly cleaned prior to your arrival and during your stay. Here are just a few things that the Resort is doing to ensure the safety and health of all Resort Hotel guests:

    • Increased cleaning of common and high-traffic areas, including, but not limited to, public elevators, handrails, benches, tables, escalators, restrooms, etc. 
    • All rooms will undergo through cleaning, with attention to high-touch areas like TV remotes and door handles. Additionally, floors will be steam cleaned and vacuumed between each stay. 
    • Light cleaning service will be provided every other day, which includes removal of trash and used towels, wiping an cleaning of counter surfaces and more. 
    • Items will be cleaned and wrapped in single-use packaging 
    Disney’s Port Orleans Resort

    There are over 25 onsite Disney World Resort hotels, ranging from value, moderate and deluxe. Whatever your budget, you’ll find something for your next Orlando vacation. I have reviews of some on my site, which you can find below.

    However, it’s important to note that not all Walt Disney World Resort hotels are available during this time. Below, I’ve listed the hotels that are now open to guests and Disney Vacation Club Members with reservations: 

    Disney’s Riviera Room

    I just stayed at Disney’s Riviera Resort in February and it’s awesome, the room layouts and access to the Disney’s Skyliner makes it my number one resort choice at Walt Disney World. I hope to share a review with pictures soon. I also love the location of Disney’ BoardWalk Villas and Disney’s Beach Club Villas, both are close to two parks: Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

    Walt Disney World Resort Hotels Opening Soon 

    • Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Opening July 10, 2020
    • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort – Opening on July 29, 2020
    • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Opening August 12, 2020
    • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort – Opening August 24, 2020
    • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – September 21, 2020
    • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn – October 1, 2020
    • Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort – Opening October 14, 2020
    Disney’s Skyliner

    Why Stay at a Disney World Hotel

    • Location: Save time by staying close to the Resort at an onsite hotel. When you spend less time traveling from your hotel to the Resort, you have more time to enjoy the Disney magic!
    • Transportation: Enjoy free transportation from Orlando International Airport to onsite Resort hotels. Also, take advantage of Disney Bus service, the Disney Monorail and even water taxis when you stay onsite. Please note that physical distancing measures will be in places and mask coverings will be required at all times while boarding and using Walt Disney World Resort transportation. 
    • Onsite Amenities: Resort amenities can offer a lot of activities for non-Park days on your vacation. Please note that pools, fitness centers and recreational activities will have reduced capacity and reduced hours to allow for physical distancing. Some amenities and experiences are temporarily unavailable at this time. 
    • Magic Bands: Each registered guest of a Disney World Hotel receives a Magic Band. This serves as your electronic access to your room, the Parks and even your wallet! You can link your My Disney Experience account to your complimentary Magic Band to scan into the Parks, make purchases during your vacation and more.

    Discount Walt Disney World Resort Vacations with Get Away Today

    With things constantly changing in the travel industry due to COVID-19, it’s important to know the value of having a travel expert assist you with your vacation plans. Even if you were a Walt Disney World expert before, there are so many new processes and changes that have been implemented. Because of this, I highly recommend using my friends at Get Away Today to plan your next Walt Disney World vacation. 

    Plus, when you book any 2-Night and longer Disney World vacation that includes an onsite Hotel, you can take advantage of their complimentary concierge services. At no additional cost, you can have a Disney World expert set up your My Disney Experience account, link members of your travel party to the app, and keep you up-to-date with all of the latest information. With concierge service from Get Away Today, a travel specialist will monitor your vacation package and apply any additional discounts that may become available after you initially book. It’s the most convenient way to plan a Disney World vacation! 

    You can call 855-GET-AWAY to start planning a 2021 Walt Disney World vacation package, or click here for a FREE Walt Disney World vacation quote. Be sure to let them know Desert Chica sent you!

    More Walt Disney World Tips

    DIY Captain America Shield

    byKaren•

    Just about everyone loves Captain America, he is a Marvel fan favorite for sure. When you think about Cap what is the first thing that comes to mind? For me it’s his shield. Every Captain America super fan needs their own shield. Check out this simple DIY Captain America shield tutorial.

    Captain America Shield made from duct tape and a frisbee.

    Captain America Craft

    This is an easy project and if your child does ok with scissors (can safely cut relatively straight lines), then they can definitely make their own Captain America shield themselves.

    captain America Shield Materials

    Supplies

    • Red Frisbee
    • Red, White and Blue Duct Tape
    • Parchment Paper

    I bought 2 red frisbees at the dollar store. I love duct tape, so I already had red, white and blue duct tape at home. I personally don’t recommend generic duct tape, it doesn’t cut as well.

    How to Make a Captain America Shield

    If you have a solid red frisbee to start with than you can skip the first round layer of red duct tape. If your frisbee is like mine, then you will need a circle of red duct tape to cover up the frisbee graphic.

    Start by drawing your various circle on parchment paper to make cutting the duct tape feasible. Captain America’s shield has an outer red ring (the largest circle), followed by white, red and then blue. I found various bowls, lids, duct tape rolls, etc around the house to use as circle templates.

    Once you’ve traced the different sized circles. Add strips of duct tape to the back, slightly overlapping so that it fills in the entire circle design. Now you can flip the parchment paper over and cut around the circle you drew. Do this for each circular layer. The duct tape will peel easily off the parchment paper.

    Screen Shot 2014-03-30 at 6.46.27 PM

    Captain America Shield Template

    I didn’t have anything to use for a star template, so I printed the graphic above. You could also just free hand draw the star design on parchment paper but I just don’t have that kind of skill. It was less stressful to just trace the star instead. Make sure you use white duct tape to create your star design.

    DIY Captain America Shield with Duct Tape.jpg

    Now layer each piece of duct tape on your frisbee to create your Captain America shield. Place the white star at the center of the shield.

    DIY Captain America Shield Duct Tape Frisbee.jpg

    The last step is to add a handle. Instead of cutting small holes in the shield for a handle, we created it using more red duct tape. Start by folding a longer piece of duct tape in half, lengthwise. Then tape each end of the strap to the back of the shield.

    Captain America Shield Duct Tape Handle.jpg

    How’s that for an easy DIY Captain America Shield? No messy spray paint involved, just duct tape and a frisbee.

    Homemade Captain America Shields.jpg

    This was the perfect craft for Elliot because the costume he received at Christmas didn’t have a Captain America shield. Now he’s ready to throw his shield and battle Thanos! 😉

    Boy dressed as Captain America holding a DIY Captain America Shield

    More Captain America Ideas

    Looking for more Captain America fun for your kids? Check out these other Captain American ideas below:

    Baby Yoda Birthday Party Ideas

    byKaren•

    Celebrate with Baby Yoda and Mando for your next party. Check out this list of Baby Yoda birthday party ideas that also includes some Mandalorian party ideas too. They are are the coolest pair in Star Wars right now. We can’t wait to watch season two of The Mandalorian later this year.

    Baby Yoda Party Ideas

    After passing out our adorable Baby Yoda valentines, it was no surprise that Elliot requested a Baby Yoda themed birthday party this year. Unfortunately we couldn’t have a big party with his friends because of the the stay at home orders. We still decorated and celebrated with our family on Zoom and of course ‘The Child’. 

    When he can have a big party with friends, I’m sure we will do another Baby Yoda birthday party with some of these super fun ideas again. I’ll be sure to keep adding more ideas to this list, I don’t Baby Yoda is going away any time soon. 

    Baby Yoda Birthday Ideas

    As we eagerly await the second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+, an explosion of creative Baby Yoda ideas has hit the internet. I've collected some to share with you, perfect if you are planning a Baby Yoda themed birthday party.

    Baby Yoda Party Food

    Of course the Baby Yoda birthday party food includes desserts. Green or tan colored food ideas are another way to theme you party food.

    Baby Yoda Rice Krispies Treats

    Hosting a Baby Yoda or Mandalorian themed party? Skip the Baby Yoda cookies and go for Baby Yoda Rice Krispies treats instead!

    Easy Baby Yoda Cake Tutorial

    This is a cake and Rice Krispsies treat duo that gives everyone options on their buttercream frosting delivery method, via cake or rice krispies.

    Baby Yoda Cookies (+ Cookie Cutters!)

    Photo Credit: popcornerreviews.com

    Baby Yoda cookies are a great option for grab and go snacks during a party. Or bag them up for a fun take home party favor.

    How to Make Baby Yoda Cookies

    Photo Credit: thriftyjinxy.com

    Another adorable Baby Yoda cookie idea.

    Star Wars The Mandalorian Pumpkin Pie

    Photo Credit: popcornerreviews.com

    If cake isn't your thing, then check out this super cool Mandalorian Pumpkin Pie idea.

    Baby Yoda Margarita

    Photo Credit: simplydarrling.com

    Some adults prefer adult beverages, this is a fun option for a Baby Yoda drink.

    Baby Yoda Deviled Eggs with Avocado

    Photo Credit: popcornerreviews.com

    These are the cutest little snack for anyone hungry at your party. Not everyone lives on cake and ice cream, Baby Yoda appetizers will definitely be appreciated by the adults.

    Baby Yoda Crafts and Decorations

    Start with green and tan party decorations, then add some fun Baby Yoda decorations to finish up the decor. There are also some craft ideas that can be used for party activities.

    Baby Yoda Paper Lantern

    Make your own Baby Yoda paper lantern with a few craft supplies. It makes a fun party decoration or table centerpiece.

    DIY Baby Yoda Craft

    Photo Credit: coolmomscooltips.com

    This cute Baby Yoda craft starts out as a cork and can end up as a key chain or even a fun cup cake topper.

    Baby Yoda Snowflake

    Create a custom Baby Yoda banner by stringing Baby Yoda snowflakes together.

    DIY Baby Yoda Tote

    Use the Baby Yoda SVG to make fun t-shirts or totes as party favors for the guests. Or if you are attending a Baby Yoda party, wrap the gift in a custom Baby Yoda bag.

    Star Wars Birthday Placemats

    Print Mandalorian and Baby Yoda birthday placements as a fun birthday party activity.

    Toilet Paper Roll Baby Yoda Craft

    Photo Credit: www.simpleeverydaymom.com

    Let everyone make their own Baby Yoda craft during the party with this toilet paper roll craft.

    Star Wars Yoda Card Craft

    Photo Credit: www.simpleeverydaymom.com

    I love the idea of making these as a thank you to give to guests when they leave.

    Baby Yoda Paper Bag Puppet

    Photo Credit: www.simpleeverydaymom.com

    These Baby Yoda paper bag puppets are adorable and fun idea for a party craft.

    Baby Yoda Mason Jar Bank Craft

    Photo Credit: thriftyjinxy.com

    This is a fun craft that could double as a party favor if your ambitious. I also love the idea of using this to collect baby advice from guests for a Baby Yoda baby shower.

    Cinnamon Baby Yoda Ornament Craft » Homemade Heather

    Photo Credit: homemadeheather.com

    These would be fun to make and give during a Baby Yoda party, then everyone can hang a Baby Yoda ornament on their Christmas tree in December.

    Disney FREE Printable: Star Wars Mandalorian Printable Activity Pack

    Photo Credit: marcieandthemouse.com

    More printable activities featuring The Mandalorian.

    Adorable Baby Yoda Craft

    Photo Credit: bigfamilyblessings.com

    This is a cute Baby Yoda popsicle stick craft. Cut out the pieces ahead of time using the template and let the kids make their own Baby Yoda puppet.

    Buy Mandalorian Party Ideas

    Looking to buy a few Mandalorian Party or Baby Yoda Birthday favors, decorations? We bought these Mandalorian cupcake toppers to theme out the simple cupcakes I made, they complimented our Baby Yoda cake pretty well. 

    I also made Elliot a cool Mandalorian themed birthday shirt. I bought this cute Child SVG and then added it a party hat to it in Design Space. 

    Costume Inspiration from Disney+

    byKaren•

    Who needs Halloween costume ideas? It’s never too early to start looking for costume ideas, especially if you want dress up in a family theme like we do. Thankfully there is plenty of costume inspiration from Disney Plus. 

    I’ve rounded up some of my favorite family costume themes inspired by Disney+ movies and shows.  Remember the key to a good family costume theme is a movie or show with plenty of characters to choose from, that way everyone has options.

    Costume Inspiration from Disney Plus

    1. Star Wars: There are plenty of Star Wars movies and shows available on Disney+ to chose from. We’ve made a Jyn Erso costume from Rogue One, a Ezra Bridger costume from Star Wars Rebels, plus a BB-8 costume and Poe Dameron costume from The Force Awakens.

    Star Wars Halloween costumes including ezra bridger, poe dameron and jyn erso

    2. The Simpsons: We haven’t made any Simpsons costumes yet but I wouldn’t put it past us. The boys love visiting Springfield at Universal Orlando and in Hollywood. There is an almost unlimited variety of characters from the show to choose from.

    3. Phineas and Ferb: Another show my boys love is Phineas and Ferb. There are 4 seasons and a couple movies to chose from on Disney+. Plus a new movie, Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe will be available later this summer.

    4. Toy Story: There are 4 Toy Story movies to choose from plus a few animated shorts to watch for costume inspiration. Our DIY Forky costume was very popular last year, and I loved the Keanu Reeves, I mean Duke Caboom costume as well. Toy Story disneybounding is a fun low-key group costume idea.

    5. Inside Out: There aren’t as many characters in Inside Out but they are all quite memorable. We went as Bing Bong, Anger, Fear and Riley’s imaginary boyfriend to Mickey’s Halloween Party one year. Additional Inside Out characters to consider include Joy, Sadness, Riley, Riley’s mom, Riley’s dad, Jangles, Rainbow Unicorn, and the Mean Girls. 

    Family dressed in in Inside Out Halloween Costumes

    6. Monsters Inc: Both Monsters Inc and Monsters University are available on Disney+ and they offer some cute Halloween costume options. Check out our simple Mike and Sulley costumes for inspiration 

    7. DuckTales: DuckTales is another awesome show with lots of characters to chose from, bonus points on the nostalgia factor for me. You can watch the original DuckTales, the reboot DuckTales series and a couple of DuckTales movies on Disney+. Our family costume theme was Duck Tales last year, we chose to go with the reboot version. The Beagle Boys costume is one our easiest costumes ever. 

    8. Onward: This fun new movie from Pixar can inspire quite a few fanciful costume ideas. I’d love to see a Manticore costume. We have plans for a Barley costume soon, we’ve already have our own DIY Barley shirt ready to go. 

    9. Thor: Marvel superheroes is a pretty large category which works for a group costume theme but you can make it more fun by narrowing it down to just a Thor costume theme. There are three different Thor movies, plus other Marvel movies that Thor is also in. Thor’s look varies in each one, some quite dramatically. Let everyone dress up as a different Thor, like Ragnarok Thor or Fat Thor, plus add in additional Thor movie characters like Loki, Heimdall, Valkyrie, Hela, and Sif and you have quite a few Thor costume options. 

    10. Frozen: I had to include a princess option for all the families with little girls, so I chose Frozen. Although there are plenty of other Disney princess options on Disney+ too. We’ve never made an Anna or Elsa costume but we do have an adorable Olaf costume to help with your Frozen costume theme.

    Did I miss any other ideas for costume inspiration from Disney+ movies and shows?

    Mulch Diggums Shirt

    byKaren•

    Artemis Fowl is now available on Disney+. We were super excited to watch Artemis in action. To celebrate its release I wanted to share an Artemis Fowl project I made this weekend, a Mulch Diggums shirt.

    Mulch Diggums Shirt

    It wouldn’t be surprising if everyone’s favorite character in the movie is Mulch Diggums. He has a lot of funny lines and spends most of the movie narrating the adventure. It doesn’t hurt that Mulch Diggums is played by Josh Gad, aka Olaf from Frozen and looks a little like Hagrid from Harry Potter. He appears to be crazily oversized dwarf, which is of course an oxymoron but still true and funny. He calls himself Dwarfus Giaganticus during the movie which seemed like a great idea for a Mulch Diggums shirt. 

    Mulch Diggums Artemis Fowl Shirt

    I created the Mulch Diggums shirt design in Design Space, just adding a fun beard to the text ‘Dwarfus Giaganticus.’ It’s easy enough to create your own version or just click through and use my design file in Design Space. 

    Artemis Fowl Movie Review

    We really enjoyed Artemis Fowl. In fact, we have been waiting to see the movie for over a year, it was originally supposed to be released in theaters last fall. Quinn and I read the first Artemis Fowl book and couldn’t wait to see a movie adaptation. So we are already Artemis Fowl fans and are just happy to see the characters in a movie.

    That being said, I do think the movie lacks details and enough backstory to make it confusing to the general public. If you’ve read the Artemis Fowl book series (or even just the first one like us), then you will already have a general understanding about how things work in that universe. If you haven’t read the books, then some things won’t make sense in the movie. It’s still a fun adventure if you are looking for a new movie to watch on Disney+.

    Artemis Fowl Party Ideas

    Looking for more fun Artemis Fowl ideas? Check out this list of movie reviews, DIY projects and recipes. Go ahead and plan a fun Artemis Fowl movie night for next weekend.

    Artemis Fowl Movie Review: 

    Photo Credit: popcornandtequila.com

    Can We Just Throw This One Away And Start Over? 

    Artemis Fowl Review from a Mom’s POV

    Photo Credit: getdressedmommy.com

    Mom's point of view movie review of Artemis Fowl on Disney+

    Create the Ultimate Artemis Fowl Movie Night at Home

    Photo Credit: elvamdesign.com

    Check out these fun ideas for an Artemis Fowl movie night including fun cupcake toppers to download!

    Artemis Fowl Inspired Kids T-Shirt DIY

    Photo Credit: sprinklediy.com

    Do your kids want to be just like Artemis Fowl? Check out this super cute 'Mastermind' shirt you can make at home.

    Artemis Fowl on Disney Plus

    Photo Credit: theeverydaymouse.com

    Artemis Fowl activity packet and fun popsicle idea!

     

    Fun Movie Shirts For Tweens

     

    Easy Beagle Boys Costume

    byKaren•

    Last year we did a big DuckTales family costume theme for Halloween. We dressed up as DuckTales characters for Disneyland’s new Halloween party, the Oogie Boogie Bash and our annual family Halloween party. Thankfully Peter and Quinn chose the easiest DuckTales costume ever, check out my Beagle Boys Costume below. 

    Beagle Boys Costume

    DuckTales Beagle Boys Costume

    The first thing to decide is which version of the Beagle Boys are you attempting to make? The basics of a Beagle Boys costume is red shirt, green hat and blue pants/jeans. The Beagle Boys in the old school Duck Tales show that I watched in the late 80’s/90’s are dressed in brighter colors. Disney rebooted the show on DisneyXD a few years ago and the colors are more muted. My son wanted to match the newer version of the show so that is what our easy Beagle Boys costume is based on. 

    Beagle Boys Costume Supplies

    The best part about this costume is that you may have some of these things on hand already. Or you could borrow them as well.

    • Black Eye Mask
    • Green Hat
    • Black Felt, Vinyl or Duct Tape
    • Red Shirt
    • Jeans
    • Black Shoes

    DIY Beagle Boys Costume

    There is nothing to exotic or crazy in the Beagle Boys costumes which makes it fairly easy to pull together. They wear black shoes, blue jeans, a red t-shirt with a “B” on it, a green hat and a black mask. My son already had a blank red t-shirt I could use, I simply had to add a giant black ‘B’ to the front of it.

    You could easily paint on the B or use a black duct tape as well. In fact if you use duct tape, the design is temporary and can be pulled off. Then you’d have a plain red shirt again. We planned on wearing our costumes a few times, so I wanted something more permanent. I opted to use black felt instead. 

    I really wanted a nice crisp capitol “B” on the shirt just like on the show. This project was the perfect opportunity to use my Cricut Maker to cut the black felt. I am terrible with scissors and if you’ve ever tried to cut felt, you know you need extremely sharp scissors otherwise the edges ended up jagged.

    After the Maker cut out the “B”, I used a permanent fabric adhesive to glue it on to the shirt. The adhesive I bought was machine washable. A hot glue gun would work too but I wouldn’t recommend washing the shirt, the felt could easily peel off. For reference I used Ariel Black Front and my “B” was 7.5 inches tall. 

    Easy Beagle Boys Costume

    I bought simple black masks from Party City but you could easily DIY those if you wanted. Or paint on a black mask with face paint. Face paint doesn’t work well in Arizona though, it can be pretty darn hot sill in October here. I also bought my husband’s red shirt and both of the green hats at Michaels. That’s it!

    More DuckTales Costumes

    Our family costume theme was DuckTales, check back soon for details on a few more Ducktales Halloween costumes!

     

    Star Wars D-0 Droid Craft

    byKaren•

    It would be hard to top BB-8 as the coolest droid in the galaxy but D-0, the new droid we met in The Rise of Skywalker is pretty sweet. Ready for a new Star Wars craft project? Who wants to make their own D-0 droid craft?

    How to Make a D-0 Craft

    This D-0 droid craft is perfect for all levels of crafters from kids to adults. It’s basically made using white paper plates and duct tape and turns out super cute. If you are looking for a more extensive Star Wars droid craft project, check out my BB-8 paper lantern. It also utilizes duct tape (one of my favorite craft supplies) along with two large white paper lanterns!

    Star Wars D-0 Droid Craft

    Star Wars D-0 Droid Craft

    Yield: 1 adorable droid

    Materials

    • White Paper Plates
    • Green Duct Tape
    • Silver Duct Tape
    • Black Duct Tape
    • White Duct Tape
    • Parchment Paper
    • Black Pipe Cleaners

    Tools

    • Scissors
    • Stapler

    Instructions

    1. Use a paper plate to create D-O's cone head. Cut a section of the paper plate into a wide wedge and roll into a cone form. Staple in place.
    2. Cut the edge off two paper plates. Then staple them together, facing inward.
    3. Now you have the basic shape of the D-0 Droid Craft. Paper plates form the shape of D-0 Craft
    4. Use another paper plate to create a small rectangular box to sit between D-0's cone head and circular body.
    5. Use white duct tape to attach your box between D-O's head and body.
    6. Add details to D-0 using duct tape. It's always easier to cut duct tape when it's attached to parchment paper.
    7. You can also draw a template on the parchment paper when cutting out specific details out of duct tape.
    8. We kept our level of detail simple but add as much detail as you would like with duct tape.
    9. Create D-0's antennas using black pipe cleaners attached inside the cone with white duct tape. I twisted two pipe cleaners together for each antenna. My pipe cleaners seemed flimsy.
    10. Add black and green duct tape to finish the outside of D-0's cone head.
    11. Done! You now have your very one D-0 Droid.

    Notes

    I used 8 1/2 inch paper plates for this project. Any similar sized plates should work well. Otherwise you may need to scale your project up or down a bit.

    Recommended Products

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    Did you make this project?

    Take a picture and tag @karenheffren or #DesertChica!

    © KarenHeffren
     

     

    Star Wars D-0 Droid Craft Idea

    I hope you enjoyed this Star Wars craft project. And I’d love to see your version of it, if you make it!

    Who is D-0?

    D-0 is a droid we meet in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. BB-8 finds him powered down on Ochi’s ship, the Bestoon Legacy. BB-8 powers him back up and he nervously joins the Resistance. 

    Why does D-0 say ‘No Thank You’ to?

    D-0 appears to be easily excitable and nervous. D-0 says ‘No Thank You’ twice in the movie. First he says it to Rey when he first meets her and she attempts to touch him. Rey guesses he’s been treated poorly in the past. D-0 says it again when he attempts to greet an Orbak who leans down and loudly brays at him. 

    More Star Wars Craft Ideas

    Baby Yoda Paper Lantern

    Star Wars Birthday Placemats

    byKaren•

    I hope you enjoyed my May the 4th Be With activity sheets because I am back with a new set. My free Star Wars birthday placemats feature the same two themes Mandalorian and Droids but with new activities and styled as birthday activity sheets. 

    Printable Star Wars Birthday Placemats

    If you’re hosting a Star Wars themed birthday party these activity sheets are perfect activity to set out. The variety of activities on it should appeal to most kids. Print out a set and give each kiddo their own box of crayons that can double as a party favor. Or if you are like me and own ONE BILLION crayons already, set a bowl of crayons in the center of the table and call it good. 

     

    Free Star Wars Birthday Activity Sheets

    I designed these to use during a Star Wars themed birthday party but really they are fun to use year-round.  If you are just looking for a fun (and low key) activity to do, theses activity sheets will work for that too! 

    Download The Birthday Droids Printable Placemat

    Download The Birthday Mandalorian Printable Placemat

    More Star Wars Crafts

    Looking for more fun Star Wars crafts? How about a BB-8 paper lantern or Baby Yoda paper lantern. You can also make a BB-8 pumpkin or BB-9E pumpkin!

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