Disney Store is Back!

Or...at least it will be.

The Disney store will be coming back to Metrotown late spring/early summer 2011. And all I can say is.... It's About Time!!! The Disney Store has been closed for more than a year now, and I miss it! Disneystore.com does ship to Canada, but the shipping is about $30.

Thankfully, the Disney store that is opening will be an experience store. Don't know what that is? Here are a few key tips to what an experience store will look like"

• Children can choose their own movie trailers to watch in the store
• Children can change the colours of the trees in the store
• You can purchase all of your park tickets and book your vacations at the store
• I believe that they will have recorded character voices saying greetings to people in the store
• You will be able to get lots of Disney Store only merchandise
• At Christmas, it will smell like cinnamon, or pine trees. Summer will smell like flowers and sunshine. Winter like hot chocolate and snow, etc.

This is not a place you go to just when you need a gift for your niece or nephew, or for the next birthday party for that kid in the class. This is a store you go to when you want to have a magical time and see the smile light up on your kids' faces. I cannot wait for this store to come back, and I will be there at the opening will bells on!

Also, just a tip, the Disney store has great sales on toys come Christmas time. I regularly do not find their prices to be outrageous, and it's better than that general toy three other moms picked up at wal-mart or at Toys R Us. 

How to get more mileage out of the Halloween costume

Weather you purchase your child's costume, make it yourself, or have it made, we all want to see them wear that costume more than once. But how to you get them to wear it again without making them wear it to the grocery store? Here are my tips:

1. Pumpkin Patch. Have your child wear their costume to the pumpkin patch when you go to choose your pumpkins. Make sure to dress in rain boots so that the costume doesn't get muddy. It's also a good time for a photo op.

2. Pictures. Have a photo session with your favorite photographer or studio or your own camera! You can choose fun fall backgrounds, or go to your favorite park that has colourful leaves all over the ground.

3. Halloween at the Mall. Take your child to your local mall on Halloween afternoon. Most malls will have trick or treating from 1-4 (check your local mall's website). It's a warm up to the night time event, but still fun for little ones to practice saying trick or treat.

4. Party! Have a halloween party with the young kids in your child's class, or with the kids in your neighborhood a week or so before Halloween. Costumes mandatory!

5. Get the costume a size too big. If you get the costume a touch big, they can wear it for dress up during the year, or if they decide to be the same thing next year, no problem!

Remember to enjoy the Halloween season. Dress up, be a bit goofy, carve magnificent pumpkins, and remember to be safe out in the dark, and to check the candy before letting your kids eat any of it. Most younger families will start trick or treating around 5:30 or 6:00pm to end before 8:00.

Boo!