Do you have a blossoming young ballerina at home? Since my own dance career began at the budding young age of 5, I have been in love with the magic of the Nutcracker ballet and all the glorious fun it brings to the holidays. I grew up in a studio that put on incredibly professional Nutcrackers every year, and it still brings me so much joy to see new little girls and boys in the party scene or as angels for the first time.
While Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms was a little weird and generally not as beautiful as I would have loved, there were some redeeming qualities to it, namely the Sugar Plum costumes and some really fantastic scene dressing. But at no point anywhere, did I see a single CANDY CANE. The Land of the Sweets was all upside down and ugly, so all of the magic that is normally present was definitely not there. If you’ve been exposed to the ballet world at all, you know that there are lots and lots of versions of the Nutcracker Ballet, but George Balanchine’s Candy Canes definitely are one of my all time favorite variations! So to have a Nutcracker movie without those iconic red and white striped costumes with hula hoop tricks was very disappointing to this FashionEarsta.
To help me embrace my inner Peppermint Twist and try to get some of the pixie dust magic back, I decided to hunt down a pair of ears for this holiday season. I know that there are TONS of these out there, so I wanted to find a lightweight pair that was a little smaller and easy for a little ballerina to wear, too. Enter Minnie Castle, an adorable shop I found on Etsy with almost 40,000 sales! I was thrilled to find a pair of ears for under $20 that were so customizable – I could choose either 3″ or 4″ ears, and I could choose if I wanted them with or without the bow.
Immediately upon popping these ears on my head, I felt the music of Tchaikovsky rush through my dancer soul and light up my holiday spirit. I threw on my Nutcracker album and rolled up my sleeves to get baking and creating our own Land of the Sweets!
Licensed under CC By 2.0
If you have a little ballerina at home, consider these as a fantastic little gift this year! Want to make it a living room Christmas recital? Add a little red sparkly tutu and a Nutcracker soundtrack to match! As a dance teacher for over 30 years, I GUARANTEE these gifts for your little dancer!
Not buying these for a little girl but absolutely buying them for the emerging ballerina in YOU? Don’t worry – this FashionEarsta has got you covered. First, be sure to get the 4″ ears for your grownup head! Grab a cute sweater, throw your hair in a bun, and click the link to the left for YOUR tutu, so you can spin around the living room, too!
We can all stand to dance a little more, twirl a little more, and hum a little more this holiday season. Let’s make the holidays a little sweeter!
Get yourself a pair of
Peppermint ears here!
EAR REVIEW
What We Loved
Unique Theme/Style:
Excellent. These are so adorable, and I especially love the peppermint right in the middle of the bow.
Materials:
Excellent. All the materials are top notch and look very finished and clean.
Bow:
Excellent. This bow is well made and doesn’t flop around.
Ear Shape/Size:
Excellent. These ears look like they were made by a machine, they are so well constructed. Very impressed. These are the 3″ ears, which are a little small for my adult head, but I ordered them on purpose!
Stitching/Gluing:
Excellent. Nothing in sight.
Wearability:
Good. Because of the slick headband, you’d think these would slip around a lot. But they’re so incredibly lightweight that they really don’t move very much.
Pricing: $
Excellent. Incredible value ears!
Turnaround Time:
Excellent. Got these in exactly one week.
Who would love these?
Anyone who loves Christmas, peppermint, or the Nutcracker ballet!
What Needs Work
Headband:
Ok. Comfortable, but a little slippery because it’s satin.
Shipping/Packaging:
Ok. Came packed just like you see this: a bag in a big box with no padding. Not a big deal because the ears aren’t super fragile, but I’d worry about ones that were. Also, no business card or anything to indicate who or where it was from!
Where should future FashionEarstas be seen in these ears?
Definitely to the Wave Lounge on the first floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, where you can order a Peppermint Kiss cocktail that will blow your mind!
Photo: Disney Food Blog
Overall Score: (4.8/5)
Also, pop over to our Facebook group to enter a giveaway for these ears! They can also be seen in action in our new video, Nailed It! 4 Disney Cookie Fails.
Get yourself a pair of
Peppermint ears here!
I hope that you found this review helpful! I’d love to hear what you think of this review, these ears, Minnie Castle, or just other magical things you have to share in the comments! Make sure you check us out on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram; chances are you will see our ears in action!
Pixie Dust and Glamour!
EarGoddess
