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It’s all about Mickey Mouse cookies today!  Did you see my post earlier this morning about the fabulous birthday dessert Amber got aboard the Disney Magic?  You must take a look at the “giant” Mickey Mouse chocolate chip cookie the hard workers in the galley made for her.

They had to have made it by hand, because I don’t think there is a cookie cutter that big in the shape of Mickey Mouse!  But I know for a fact that there are small ones because I own one and have made some fun, yummy cookies from it!

The day in Madeira tuckered us out a bit after six days at sea!  So it was nice to be able to recoup from all that walking and rest again today. 

Disney brought one of their imagineers on board to give some seminars, Gary Landrum.  Gary gave a presentation of a visual behind the scenes look at how fairy tale castles were deigned and created to be the focal point of Disney Magic Kingdoms throughout the world.

Madeira, Portugal is located on a string of islands in the North Atlantic between Portugal and Africa.  It’s known for its festive celebrations and we were fortunate enough to be there on the last day of their annual Flower Festival.

Wow! The last of our six days in a row at sea!  It was quite an experience.  The ocean was quite rough this day, the waves topping out at about 13 feet.  That makes for a rocking boat!  The swimming pools were instantly turned into wave pools!

Here’s another wonderful book published by Abrams Books. If you have a little dancer in your family, she will love it! Here is a little bit about it:
My Friend Maya Loves to Dance
By Cheyrl Willis Hudson, illustrated by Eric Velasquez

Courtesy of LyncornOur fifth day at sea was another day where we chose not to do very much.  We went to the theater and watched Sherlock Holmes.  I admit to having been a bit tired and dozed off during the movie!  I did think it was good though.  Amber really liked it and watched it again on the plane home from Barcelona to Atlanta.

I often use margarine type spreads because they’re just easier to use right out of the fridge.  While many brands indicate they are healthy for you, the ingredient list can be long, the one in my fridge right now has 12 ingredients, many of which I can’t pronounce.  I use them because our home is so warm, we can’t leave butter out, even in a butter bell, because it just slides right out.  I found out though, that there is a spreadable butter product I can use straight from my fridge!

LAND O LAKES® Spreadable Butter with Canola Oil shows that less is more with only three pure, natural and simple ingredients.

Courtesy of LyncornWhere but on a Disney cruise ship could you attend a Paint Fest at Sea?  This event held for two hours on our fourth sea day, was so that the cruisers could help paint a mural designed by Don “Ducky” Williams.  But once again, my family slept until the late morning, and by the time we had finished breakfast and popped in to do some painting the second hour, it was already completed!  There were obviously many enthusiastic artists on board!

Tom Rob Smith—the author whose debut, Child 44, has been called “brilliant” (Chicago Tribune), “remarkable” (Newsweek) and “sensational” (Entertainment Weekly)—returns with an intense, suspenseful new novel: a story where the sins of the past threaten to destroy the present, where families must overcome unimaginable obstacles to save their loved ones, and where hope for a better tomorrow is found in the most unlikely of circumstances . . .

The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith.

Amber loves to draw and she is always busy with a pencil and her sketchpad bringing her imagination to life.  So she was especially interested in one of the special guests that Disney brought on board to do guest sessions Don “Ducky” Williams.

You may not recognize the name, but if you see a Disney Character on a brochure, billboard, or anything that doesn’t animate, Don Williams most likely drew it.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts marketing Senior Character Artist Don “Ducky” Williams has been creating magical Disney artwork for advertising projects, Theme Parks, TV and collectibles for over two decades. Despite his remarkable talent and vast following of fans, “Ducky” is a low- key, unpretentious fellow-every bit as lovable as the art he creates.