Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend : My First runDisney Event

I must start this post about my runDisney adventures by stating clearly that I am NOT a runner. In fact, on more than one occasion in the past I have joked with friends that if they ever see me running they should start running too because something or someone must be chasing me. That being said, I have been on a weight loss journey for over two years now and participating in the upcoming 2014 Never Land Family Fun Run 5K has become my latest personal fitness goal. 

My story might sound familiar to you. I am a busy "thirtysomething" housewife and mother to an inquisitive homeschooler. While I love spending my time taking care of my home and family, I knew that I also had to make my mental and physical health more of a top priority. Through hard work I managed to lose sixty pounds in a little under two years by eating healthier, working out more and finally being properly medicated for my hypothyroidism by a skilled endocrinologist for the first time since being diagnosed as a teen. I had several months of steady weight loss before I hit a plateau. What I was doing wasn't working anymore and the weight had stopped coming off. I knew that I needed to try something new so, after talking to a few of my runDisney friends, I started training to run the 5K.

Things were going well for me and my training for several weeks until an old knee injury cropped back up unexpectedly and began drastically restricting my workouts. That knee injury still keeps me from pushing myself like I had been and I also recently had a medical emergency that required medication that caused weight gain. I have put on about ten pounds over the last several months but I still plan on working hard to eventually reach my goals. I will not be able to run the 5K this year like I had hoped but I realize that a setback is in no way a defeat. I am so excited to be briskly walking my first 5K. I am also really happy that my son and I will be tackling the Never Land Family Fun Run 5K together. Neither of us have completed a 5K before but we are both pretty pumped up to try our best.

The 2014 Never Land Family Fun Run 5K kicks off the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend at the Disneyland Resort on Friday January 17th at 5:45 a.m. and is perfect for runDisney beginners like myself. The 5K course runs through the Disneyland Resort and features Disney characters and on-course entertainment. Like the official runDisney website says, "Just follow the 'second star to the right and straight on till morning' for the Never Land Family Fun Run 5K - a magical course through Never Land and continuing throughout the Disneyland Resort. It's great fun on a great run and a perfect warm up for Sunday's Half Marathon."

My son and I with Donald during our last trip to Disneyland as Donald covers up my son's Mouseketeer hat.

Even though I am still far from my weight loss goal and have long been "plus sized", I already find the whole runDisney experience to be so inspiring. It takes something I love as much as visiting Disneyland and uses that love to encourage me to push myself to be healthy in a new and exciting way. The runDisney community is literally helping me become a better person by distracting me from all the hard work with fun things like adorable race outfits and on-course character interactions. I am confident that the experiences that my son and I will have during the upcoming 2014 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend will help us both push on with our own fitness and health goals. While I know I am not ready to run a marathon, I am confident that the 5K Fun Run will be a challenge we will both complete with some hard work and maybe a little faith, trust and pixie dust.

To Be Continued...

Virtual Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend Blog Hop Directory 
Follow these authors for your virtual race experience. 

You can fly, you can read, you CAN run!

The My Adventures in Disneyland Holiday Wish List: Day 12

The final gift idea on the My Adventures in Disneyland Holiday Wish List is the Disney INFINITY. The Starter Pack is currently selling online for $59.99 and includes the video game, an INFINITY base, an INFINITY power disc and three figures - Sulley from Monsters University, Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean and Mr Incredible from The Incredibles. With Disney INFINITY you have a selection of Disney figures to choose from so whether you love Toy Story, Cars, the Incredibles, Frozen, Nightmare Before Christmas or Wreck It Ralph, they have a play set for you. Through their wide variety of power discs and figures every game is truly unique. You can play online with friends or you can build your own private world; it's all up to you and your imagination. Disney INFINITY can be played on the console, online and on the iPad and can be purchased on a variety of formats, including the PC, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. 

The My Adventures in Disneyland Holiday Wish List: Day 11

If your holiday budget allows it, a great gift idea for your favorite Disneylander might just be from Dooney & Bourke. Their Disney-inspired handbags and accessories come in a wide variety of styles and sizes with prices ranging from $50 to $360. All Disney Parks Dooney & Bourke products are built to last through more than a few of your own adventures and my favorite patterns include the black and white Mickey Mouse Comics pattern released at the D23 Expo earlier this year, the iconic Disneyland Retro pattern and the much sought after Haunted Mansion pattern (which retails for $330) expected to arrive at Disney Parks any day now. If a handbag isn't quite right, you should consider their other Disney Parks items. I am happy with all the Dooney & Bourke items I have purchased, including an iPhone 4 case that I loved for its style and durability. Their iPhone cases retail for $50 or their iPad cases are currently selling for $90. Dooney & Bourke Disney Parks items can be purchased at the Disney Store and Disney Parks.

And, hopefully coming soon?

The My Adventures in Disneyland Holiday Wish List: Day 10

I love collecting Disney Parks shirts for my trips to Disneyland so I was very excited when I saw the new Sleeping Beauty Castle Neon Tee For Adults at the Disney Store which was created especially for the Disneyland Resort. This very unique tee comes in sizes small through 2X and features the classic Disneyland logo and a very festive firework show over Disneyland's beloved castle. With its glow-in-the-dark neon graphics this Disney Parks tee is perfect for a day (and night) at the Disneyland Resort. This soft 100% cotton jersey knit tee has a ribbed crew neck and retails for $24.95 at the Disney Store and, of course, at the Disneyland Resort. There are also other neon styles available, including a Disneyland sweatshirt featuring the old Disneyland Marquee for $39.95.

The My Adventures in Disneyland Holiday Wish List: Day 9

If you loved Walt Disney Animation Studios' new animated feature film Frozen like we did then a holiday pick for you might just be the Disney's Frozen 2-Disc Deluxe Edition Soundtrack. Our favorite tracks include the amazing Let It Go performed by the uber-talented Idina Menzel as Elsa, Do You Want To Build A Snow Man?, For The First Time In Forever and, my son's favorite, the very comical In Summer by Josh Gad as the lovable snowman Olaf. Before you know it you just might find yourself singing along like we do. This Deluxe Edition features a total of 55 tracks (while the standard Frozen soundtrack consists of 32 tracks) and can be purchased at several major retail locations, including the Disney Store and at Disney Parks. The cheapest price I found for it was at Amazon.com where the Deluxe Frozen Soundtrack is currently selling for $15.83 and also includes a free MP3 AutoRip of the complete soundtrack. This very impressive album is currently the best-selling soundtrack on both iTunes and on Amazon.com where it has a "4.8 out of 5 stars" customer satisfaction rating. This very popular album is a hit with fans and critics alike and it just became the 10th soundtrack from an animated feature film to reach the top 10 behind Disney's own Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Tarzan and Cars and four non-Disney films - Pokemon: The First Movie, Shrek 2, Curious George and the animated/live action film Space Jam.

Disc One:

1. Frozen Heart (Cast)
2. Do You Want to Build a Snowman? (Kristen Bell, Agatha Lee Monn and Katie Lopez)
3. For the First Time in Forever (Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel)
4. Love Is an Open Door (Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana)
5. Let It Go (Idina Menzel)
6. Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People (Jonathan Groff)
7. In Summer (Josh Gad)
8. For the First Time in Forever (Reprise) (Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel)
9. Fixer Upper (Maia Wilson and Cast)
10. Let It Go (Demi Lovato Version)
11. Vuelie (Featuring Cantus) (Score)
12. Elsa and Anna (Score)
13. The Trolls (Score)
14. Coronation Day (Score)
15. Heimr Àrnadalr (Score)
16. Winter's Waltz (Score)
17. Sorcery (Score)
18. Royal Pursuit (Score)
19. Onward and Upward (Score)
20. Wolves (Score)
21. The North Mountain (Score)
22. We Were So Close (Score)
23. Marshmallow Attack! (Score)
24. Conceal, Don't Feel (Score)
25. Only An Act of True Love (Score)
26. Summit Siege (Score)
27. Return to Arendelle (Score)
28. Treason (Score)
29. Some People Are Worth Melting For (Score)
30. Whiteout (Score)
31. The Great Thaw (Vuelie Reprise) (Score)
32. Epilogue (Score)

Disc Two:

1. For the First Time in Forever Demo

2. Love Is an Open Door Demo

3. We Know Better Outtake

4. Spring Pageant Outtake

5. More Than Just the Spare Outtake

6. You're You Outtake

7. Life's Too Short Outtake

8. Life's Too Short (Reprise) Outtake

9. Reindeer(s) Remix Outtake

10. The Ballad of Olaf & Sven (Teaser Trailer) Score Demo

11. Queen Elsa of Arendelle Score Demo

12. Hans Score Demo

13. It Had to Be Snow Score Demo

14. Meet Olaf Score Demo

15. Hands for Hans Score Demo

16. Oaken's Sauna Score Demo

17. Thin Air Score Demo

18. Cliff Diving Score Demo

19. The Love Experts Score Demo

20. Elsa Imprisoned Score Demo

21. Hans' Kiss Score Demo

22. Coronation Band Suite Source Score

23. Let It Go Instrumental Karaoke

The My Adventures in Disneyland Holiday Wish List: Day 8

A more obvious gift for a Disneyland fanatic is the Disney Gift Card. Since everyone has their own idea of what a perfect day at the Disneyland Resort entails, a Disney Gift Card is the perfect way to spread around a little pixie dust this holiday season. They can be used for shopping, meals, snacks, parking, Disney theme park tickets, vacation packages, hotel stays and more. To personalize your gift, you can also choose a card design perfect for the situation and recipient whether it is for the holidays, for a birthday or feature a favorite Disney character. When purchased online, Disney Gift Cards can be loaded in increments of $25, $50 and $100 up to $1,000. You can even go online to check your balance at any time.  Disney Gift Cards are also available at select locations throughout the Disneyland Resort or by calling (877) 560-6477. Purchase Disney Gift Cards online today!

Note From Disney Gift Cards: The Disney Gift Card can be used at select participating locations at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disney Store locations in the United States, DisneyStore.com, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii, Disney's Beach Resorts, Disney Vacation Club, Club Penguin, Disney Music Store, Adventures by Disney, and Disney's PhotoPass. Gift cards may not be used towards the purchase of Disney Dollars or Disney Gift Cards. Other restrictions apply. Use of gift card is acceptance of its terms and conditions. Visit DisneyGiftCard.com for complete terms and conditions and for more information about the Disney Gift Card program. It is not redeemable for cash, will not be replaced if lost or stolen without required proof of purchase, and it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Disney Gift Card Program.

The My Adventures in Disneyland Holiday Wish List: Day 7

A holiday classic cartoon that we are sure to watch every year as a family in our house is Mickey's Christmas Carol, featuring Uncle Scrooge as Charles Dickens' Ebenezer Scrooge, so I was excited to see that it was being released on Blu-Ray this holiday season in honor of its historic 30th anniversary. This Christmas classic is the main feature of this special edition along with a collection of cartoon shorts sure to put you and yours in a festive mood. My favorite of the shorts are two epic cartoons - The Art of Skiing with Goofy and Corn Chips with Donald, Chip and Dale. There is even a Disney Christmas Carol sing-along included in this very special anniversary edition. The classic cartoons mixed with the magic of Blu-Ray technology make the Mickey's Christmas Carol 30th Anniversary Special Edition collection an especially perfect gift for any Disney fan. The best deal I found online for either set (which both include a Digital Copy) was at Amazon with the regular DVD version selling for $19.99 or it's $24.98 for the Blu-Ray edition. Both available editions can also be purchased at the Disney Store and at Disney Parks.

The shorts included are:

Yodelberg - Featuring Mickey & Minnie

The Hockey Champ - Featuring Donald and his nephews Huey, Dewey & Louie 

Pluto's Christmas Tree - Featuring Pluto, Chip & Dale

The Art of Skiing - Featuring Goofy

Corn Chips - Featuring Donald, Chip & Dale