Lunchables

From Mom Central: As Moms, our ever-expanding "to-do" list often prevents us from packing our kids homemade lunches for school. To make the morning routine run a bit smoother, we often look for quick "on-the-go" solutions. But when it comes to buying prepackaged meals, we do not want to sacrifice a healthier meal for convenience. Lunchables Lunch Combinations has recently expanded their better-for-you lunch selections to include even more varieties that offer the same great taste and wholesome products Moms can feel good about.

Over the last few years, Lunchables has worked hard to improve their products by reducing overall sodium content, fat and calories by at least 20% throughout their product lines, and adding spring water and fruit to various lunches. Newly available options such as the Chicken and American Sub Sandwich as well as Chicken Strips, along with old favorites like the Deep Dish Cheese Pizza, now come with DOLE Mandarin Oranges. Lunchables provides improved lunch options with 100% white meat chicken, reduced-fat cheese and bread made with whole grain. And the already easy to go container now has many recyclable parts, making them a more environmentally friendly option.

My take:  You are looking at my son's very favorite lunch in the picture above:  Lunchables Deep Dish Cheese Pizza.  He loves all things pizza (cheese only, thankyouverymuch), applesause is his favorite "fruit " of all time and he'd rather have water with a kool-aid single any day of the week (and twice on Sundays!)  What do I  like about this lunch option?  The calorie and fat counts are way down from the Lunchables of old and it's safe for my son to eat with his food allergies.  And it's also SO easy to pack his lunch with Lunchables - just set the container on ice and he is good to go - takes a lot longer than that to make a sandwich (which he won't eat anyway).  Bonus?  I can send the container to Terracyle after lunch to earn money for our school! Win-Win.  Lunchables will always have a place in our school routine.  Check all the "new" Lunchables yourself today - there are 8 of them that come with water! 

This review was sponsored by
Mom Central

(which means: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Lunchables and received the products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.")

Shrinkvivor

  

You may have noticed these badges in the upper left corner of this blog and wondered what was going on.  In a nutshell, I joined the SHRINKVIVOR challenge at THE SISTERHOOD OF THE SHRINKING JEANS.  I am on TRIBE RED: CAMPEONES (champions in Spanish).

I survived week one with a loss of 4 lbs.

This is week two and I only lost 1 lb.

But overall since I joined a gym on 8/27/10 with my husband, I've lost 11 lbs with 79 more to go to goal weight. 

I'm a bit disheartened by my 1 lb. loss this week as I do not want to let my team down and of course, do not want to get booted off my team either. 

I've done very well on the challenges I think - Week 1 was drink 1/2 of your weight in ounces (water) and I've been doing that (4 - 32 oz bottles yo!).  Week 1 was also log as many miles as you could on the treadmill and elliptical in 6 days (I did 12 miles).

Week 2 was stay away from drive thru's (I already cut that out on 8/27!) and do as many minutes of exercise as you can in 6 days (I did 285 minutes).

Wishing, hoping and praying I get to stay on for another week.

Pocoyo: Meet Pocoyo (review)

Pocoyo: Meet Pocoyo

List Price: $6.99

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: NCircle Entertainment

DVD Release Date: September 7, 2010

Run Time: 49 minutes

AN UNFORGETTABLE FUN-LOVING LITTLE BOY WITH A BIG PERSONALITY PROMOTES “LEARNING THROUGH LAUGHTER™”

An International Sensation,“Pocoyo” Launched in the U.S. Earlier This Year on Nick Jr. and Merchandise To Debut This Fall

From the PR Firm: An international superstar, Pocoyo, made his Nick Jr. debut earlier this Summer, and this Fall, Pocoyo DVDs and toys will be available here in the U.S.



Pocoyo began airing this summer on Nick Jr. and broadcasts daily – once in the fixed 4:25pm timeslot 7 days per week, plus two other times each day. Additionally, the series airs on Univision’s Saturday morning children’s block, Planeta U at 8:30am, PBS and Discovery Familia.

Pocoyo is visually very different to any other pre-school program. The innovative use of CGI animation allows Pocoyo to become a very real child-- he moves, talks, plays and learns like a toddler, and he can sulk and throw tantrums like only a toddler can! The ‘parent’ figure is voiced by writer/actor Stephen Fry who guides Pocoyo with gentle humor as he explores the world around him.

Pocoyo has a strong educational content, but never sacrifices its entertainment value or sense of fun. The characters, storylines, sounds and visual appeal of Pocoyo have been carefully researched to ensure that it’s perfectly tailored to encourage child development.

The philosophy behind Pocoyo is ‘Learning through Laughter™’. A research study undertaken in the UK by Dr. David Lewis has shown that laughter not only increases the enjoyment and engagement of the child but is proven to increase learning by 67%.


Pocoyo has already won the hearts of many fan--and many awards too. On Sunday September 5th, 2010, Pocoyo won the Kineo Diamante al Cinema Award at the prestigious Venice Film Festival in Italy, for the most successful film or TV series of the year. In addition, Pocoyo has won three Pucinella Prizes at the Italian Cartoons on the Bay Festival. In the U.K., the television series won a BAFTA Award (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) for Best Animated Preschool Series; and in France, won Best TV Series at the Annecy Cartoon Festival. In the U.S., Pocoyo is the winner of a Parent’s Choice Gold Medal.

In Meet Pocoyo!, a September 7, 2010 DVD release from NCircle Entertainment, preschoolers will learn through laughter as Pocoyo and friends explore the world around them. In seven hilarious stories, Pocoyo enjoys making music, blowing bubbles, solving puzzles and even watching an egg hatch. Filled with sights and sounds perfectly tailored to encourage child development, Meet Pocoyo! was created to engage, entertain and educate preschool age children. The DVD runs 47 minutes and features both English and Spanish language tracks. Meet Pocoyo! is available at http://www.ncircleentertainment.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/. SRP $6.99 (introductory rate).

The television series began airing this summer on Nick Jr. and the first line of merchandise (available at Toys”R”Us) and DVDs are being released this fall.

My take:  I must admit, I asked to review this DVD for me, not for my kids (gasp! the horror!) But I was curious about Pocoyo - I'd see some commercials and wondered what he was about.  Pocoyo ("little me" in Spanish) is a CGI created 3 year old who, along with his friends Elly the elephant, Pato the duck and Loula the dog, explore their world.  Much like watching a real life toddler, Pocoyo involves lots of exploring, laughing, music and learning.  My daughter is 6 and she liked the show simply because she loves "babies" of any kind (which includes toddlers).  My soon-to-be-8 year old son could have cared less about Pocoyo.  I'm thinking the target audience would be toddlers themselves up to kindergarten.  Whoever the viewer, I have to say the CGI makes Pocoyo incredibly lifelike - and the white backdrops are reminiscent of the Baby Einstein DVDs of a few years ago.  I would recommend this for anyone with a 3-5 year old.  They will love it and it won't irritate the snot out of you - win-win!

About Bandai America Incorporated: A leader in developing engaging, quality toys that capture children’s imaginative spirit and provide endless “Fun For The Future,” Bandai America Incorporated is the manufacturer and master toy licensee of some of the most popular brands in children’s toys and interactive entertainment today. The Bandai America Incorporated brand family includes Power Rangers®, Ben 10™, Harumika™, Tamagotchi™, Pocoyo™ and Teeny Little Families™ among other boys, girls, pre-school and hobby product lines. Bandai America Incorporated is a subsidiary of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings (USA) Inc., an entity that resulted from the integration of Namco Ltd. and Bandai Co. Ltd. of Japan. Global interests encompass three strategic business units: toys and hobby, amusement facilities and content. The company is headquartered in Cypress, California. Find out more about our expertise in connecting with kids in fun and fresh ways at www.Bandai.com

About NCircle Entertainment: NCircle Entertainment, a division of Alliance Entertainment, LLC, licenses, manufactures and distributes family and children’s programming and related images for home entertainment and consumer products. Alliance maintains the largest in-stock catalog of CDs and DVDs in the U.S. -- a combined total of more than 335,000 titles. The Company was named the 2008 Large Wholesaler of the Year by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM). Alliance is a subsidiary of Source Interlink Companies, Inc., a media and marketing services company, one of the largest publishers of magazines and online content for enthusiast audiences and a leading distributor of home entertainment products, including DVDs, music CDs, magazines, video games, books, and related items. Source Interlink serves more than 100,000 retail store locations throughout North America. Supply chain relationships include consumer goods advertisers, subscribers, movie studios, record labels, magazine and newspaper publishers, confectionary companies and manufacturers of general merchandise. For more about Alliance, visit www.aent.com and Source Interlink at www.sourceinterlink.com. For more about NCircle Entertainment, visit www.ncircleentertainment.com.

This review was sponsored by 360 Marketing and Communications who provided the DVD for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary DVD (a $6.99 value).

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue (review)

THE WORLDS OF FAIRIES AND HUMANS CONVERGE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AN ALL-NEW MAGICAL ADVENTURE

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue (Two-Disc Blu-ray/ DVD Combo) (2010)

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Celebrates Spring Solstice with the Announcement of an Exciting New Adventure

Actors: Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Sheen, Mae Whitman, Lucy Liu, Pamela Adlon

Directors: Bradley Raymond

Writers: Bradley Raymond, Bob Hilgenberg, Jeffrey M. Howard, Joe Ansolabehere, Paul Germain

Producers: Helen Kalafatic

Language: English

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Number of discs: 2

Rated: G (General Audience)

Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: September 21, 2010

Suggested retail price: U.S. $29.99 DVD, $39.99 Blu-ray Combo Pack

Canada: $35.99 DVD, $44.99 Blu-ray

From the studio: Tinker Bell, the world’s favorite fairy, will be spreading her mirth and magic for audiences of all ages, as the worlds of fairies and humans meet for the first time in Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue. An all-new, original full-length CG animated film featuring breathtaking animation, spectacular music and an all-star cast of voice talents debuts September 21st, 2010 on Blu-ray Combo Pack (includes Blu-ray and bonus DVD of the film and movie download).

Before she was ever introduced to Wendy and the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell met Lizzy, a girl with a steadfast belief in fairies. Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue begins in summertime in the beautiful English countryside. An enchanting encounter unfolds when Tinker Bell is discovered by Lizzy, and as their different worlds unite, Tink develops a special bond with the curious girl in need of a friend.  As her fellow fairies launch a daring rescue, Tinker Bell takes a huge risk, putting her own safety and the future of the fairies in jeopardy. This action-packed adventure takes the fairies of Pixie Hollow on a daring flight to London to save Tinker Bell and all of fairy kind.

Experience Disney’s astonishing all-new movie about the true power of faith and friendship. Bursting with excitement and imagination, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is magical entertainment for the whole family. You might even learn to fly.

My take: Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is the third in the Tinker Bell direct to DVD series from Walt Disney.  As my Tinker Bell crazy enthusiast daughter has been watching commercials for this one for while on the Disney channel, she was beyond thrilled to open this package.  You'd think she'd opened a wallet full of money she was so excited (wait, that's MY dream mail, not hers).  ANYwho...back to the movie.  In this chapter of the Tinker Bell saga (I understand these are all "prequels" to the famous Peter Pan movie), Tink is drawn into the human world via a young girl Lizzy.  Lizzy I can relate to - she is neglected by her father - and Tink tries to help her get his attention.  In the meantime, Tink's fairy friends try to rescue her without having access to any of their fairy powers.  Will they all succeed?  You'll have to watch and see.  There are virtually no scary parts at all in this movie either which was awesome (no claw marks in my arms - score!)  There are some neat bonus features this time too - the preview for "Tangled" virtually guarantees we'll be in line for tickets when it comes to theatres, and I always like to watch deleted scenes - they flesh out the story more for me (see below for a peek at one of them).  The music video "How to Believe" had my daughter up and dancing too. All and all, a great new addition to the Tinker Bell franchise - kudos to Disney!  ★★★★

Bonus features: 

* Tangled - Exclusive Sneak Peak- (3:39) A special early look at Walt Disney's upcoming animated film "Tangled".



* Deleted Scenes - (14:44) - Featuring five deleted scenes with intros by Director Brad Raymond and Producer Helen Kalafatic.


* Music & More - (3:03) Featuring the music video "How to Believe" by Bridgit Mendler.


* Games & Activities - (3:23) Featuring a "Fairy Field Guide Builder" multiple choice style of game.


* Backstage Disney - (1:52) Featuring "Design A Fairy House". Director Brad Raymond shows us the Epcot Flower and Garden festival and interviews with children building a fairy house and also a the contest winner of the design contest.

About Disney's Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack: To provide consumers with unprecedented quality, value and portability of their favorite Disney movies, in 2008 Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment pioneered the Combo Pack – a Blu-ray Disc plus a DVD in a single package.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment: Walt Disney Home Entertainment is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Worldwide Home Entertainment, Inc., a recognized industry leader. Walt Disney Studios Worldwide Home Entertainment is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax, and Buena Vista Blu-ray, DVDs and Digital Downloads.

About Disney Fairies:  Disney Fairies is rooted in Disney's rich heritage of children's storytelling. The franchise builds upon the enormous popularity of Tinker Bell and introduces girls to her secret, magical world and a new circle of enchanting fairy friends – Fawn, Iridessa, Rosetta and Silvermist – each with an incredibly diverse talent, personality and look. Launched just a few years ago, the $1B franchise boasts a thriving publishing and lifestyle merchandising program. To date, over 675 Disney Fairies and Tinker Bell titles have been published in 57 countries and 31 languages, selling nearly 30 million copies; Disney Fairies magazines have sold over 7.5 million copies in 28 countries and an array of products from apparel and toys to electronics, home décor and stationery has extended storylines into many girls’ homes across the globe. DisneyFairies.com is now available in more than 20 territories across North America, Latin America, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Fans have created more than 25 million personalized Fairy avatars to date that can take flight in the virtual world of Pixie Hollow. Disney theme parks have also launched a Pixie Hollow attraction where fans can meet the Disney Fairies. The Disney Fairies are highlighted in the production of Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy, and additionally, Tinker Bell is in four other Disney On Ice shows touring the world. Following the success of Walt Disney Pictures Tinker Bell on Disney Blu-ray and hi-def DVD, Disney released Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure in 2009 as the second title in the series.

Bonus: Download these Fair Fun time Crafts and recipe (PDF pages for printing and playing): http://tiny.cc/TinkGFRActivities

In addition, here’s a special coupon for $10 off the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack for this release from Disney Movie Rewards: http://www.disneymovierewards.go.com/promotions/special-offers/tink3ptw-coupon

Trailer

Flying to London (film)

Deleted Scene: Lizzy’s Bedtime Story (bonus)

This post was written for Click Communications and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment who provided the movie for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary DVD.

Moon Dough (review)

Moon Dough 

from Spinmaster

Moon Dough Magic Barnyard

• 
  
  Magically mold 4 different barnyard animals; a chicken, pig, sheep and a cow
• 
  
  Mold fences that connect together to build pastures and corrals for all your animals!  
• 
  
  Hay Bale Half-mold - build hay bales to stack up and feed animals for tons of fun.  
• 
  
  3 Bags of Moon Dough  
• 
  
  1 x Molding Barn, 1 x Fence Mold, 1 x Hay Bale Mold, 1 x Playmat, 3 x Bags of Moon Dough

From Team Mom: Moon Dough is an out-of-this-world new molding dough that never dries out! Hypo-allergenic and wheat-free, soft and marshmallow-like, Moon Dough does not stick to or stain material. Because Moon Dough never dries out, kids can use it again and again. Moon Dough is the latest and greatest new molding compound for kids ages 2-4 to sculpt into fun creations they will love to play with. The line also offers a variety of enjoyable play sets (Moon Dough Barnyard, Moon Dough Pizza Shop, Magic Molding Doghouse, and Moon Dough Burger Shop).  Moon Dough Refill Packs are also available.  Moon Dough comes in eight great colors (Blue, Green, White, Orange, Purple, Pink, Red and Yellow). It is available at Toys "R" Us, Target, Walmart, Kmart, Amazon.com, A.C. Moore, Michaels and eToys. For more information, visit http://www.moondough.com.

My take: We received the Moon Dough Magic Barnyard to try out (pictured at the top of this post).  It happened to arrive the same day as a rare date night for my husband and me so it fell to my mom to try out the Moon Dough with my kids (they were too excited to wait for me to come back home).   She gave the product two thumbs up when I returned and who could disagree??  All the fun of play dough and moon sand without all the mess!  The moon dough was super easy to work with but she did say the barn was a little tough to work with (the handle looks like it should go all the way around to create shapes but you actually have to rock it back and forth which is a tad awkward for little ones so be sure to hang around to help out at first).  My mom and the kiddos made the entire barn yard (including fence and hay) pictured above and were able to leave it out for hours for me to see when I returned home - it didn't dry out!  I simply put the pieces they created back in the box for next time.  Moon Dough is definitely on our Santa's Christmas list this year! ★★★★★

This review was sponsored by Team Mom who provided the Barnyard for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary Barnyard ($19.99 value).

I am proud to be a member of Team Mom, which sponsored this review.

Mad Science KNOW Magazine (review)

From Mom Central: Statistics show that the number of young adults pursuing careers in science in the U.S. pales in comparison to other countries. But taking steps to bring science alive for kids at a young age can make a huge difference. Mad Science, the world's leading science enrichment provider, launched KNOW Magazine, a publication specifically designed to engage and excite children at an age when science proves as important as math, reading and writing.

Geared to children 6 to 9, KNOW Magazine provides kids with age-appropriate articles, fun science and technology facts, games, puzzles, and experiments. With six issues per year all free of outside advertising, the magazine covers everything from dinosaurs and animals, to the solar system and the human body to keep kids engaged year-round. The magazine's educational focus combines learning and entertainment in a way Moms can feel good about.

My take: In school, I can say in all modesty, that I truly did excel and enjoy my science classes.  And math and history classes.  What can I say, I was not your typical girl!  It's no wonder I turned to accounting for a career choice but I've often wondered what would have happened if I had continued down a scientific career path.  And I cannot wait to see what careers my own children end up pursuing.  Whatever it is, I know an early interest in, and exposure to, science will only help them down that path.  But how to interest them early?  I'm thinking a permanent subscription to KNOW magazine might be the answer.  Kind of like a written Sesame Street episode (I say that because of the short, one page articles), KNOW is the perfect introduction to science in the every day for your child.  From Shapes and Patterns to poetry to a cartoon strip and an experiment to try at home, KNOW
addresses science from all angles and interests.  This "science magazine for curious kids" was a big hit with my 8 year old and with me!  Thanks Mom Central for telling us about the magazine - we can't wait for the next one!

Bonus: Click here to download a free Sept./Oct. KNOW issue and see for yourself what great things it has to offer.

This review was sponsored by
Mom Central

(which means: “I  wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mad Science and received the products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate." )

Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare (review)

Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare

THE ALL NEW ORIGINAL ANIMATED MOVIE
AVAILABLE ON DVD SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

Number One Family Franchise Scooby-Doo Returns with an Exciting New Film

List Price: $19.98
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC

Language: English
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: September 14, 2010

From the studio: The creepiest campfire ghost stories come to life on the all-new, must-have, animated Scooby-Doo original movie Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare, available in retail outlets September 14, 2010 from Warner Home Video (WHV). Viewers will want to join in the high-jinks with that lovable Great Dane and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang as they explore some mysterious goings-on at a haunted summer camp. Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare will retail for $19.98 SRP. Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare will also be offered On-Demand and for Download day-and-date with the home video release.

Roast your marshmallows and hide under your sleeping bag covers, because this campfire experience is going to get spooky! In this brand-new adventure, Scooby-Doo and the gang head out in the Mystery Machine to visit Fred’s favorite childhood summer camp. They soon learn that creepy creatures from their all-time favorite campfire stories have come to life and now haunt the nearby woods and lake, threatening the camp to shut down. Will our heroes, Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma manage to end all the kooky occurrences and stop the creatures before the camp is forced to close its doors forever?

“Parents and kids love to see Scooby-Doo and the gang star in fun, new adventures and that’s why we’re excited to introduce consumers to Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing. He added, “It’s an entertaining new adventure with an engaging storyline, top-notch animation and lots of funny moments that families can watch together. This is the latest in a series of original films that are hugely popular with Scooby fans and we think it will be a hit with a wide variety of audiences.”

Scooby-Doo, the hit franchise follows the adventures of Daphne, Fred, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby-Doo as they travel in their van “The Mystery Machine” and solve cases typically involving ghosts, monsters or other supernatural forces. High-jinks always ensue, with their investigations resulting in entertaining chase scenes mixed with catchy musical numbers and comedic antics. The original television program went on to become one of the most successful animated television programs in history and spawned several spin-off series, specials, consumer products and live action films.

My take:  When you were growing up, did you watch the old animated Scooby Doo series on t.v.?  Personally, I didn't, but not out of choice; my mom said "no" to t.v. and "yes" to books.  Which was gave my reading and vocabulary an awesome boost but left me woefully undereducated when it came to the t.v. shows of my peers (as my husband likes to remind me :-).  No matter - I still think Mom was right because now I get to enjoy shows like these with my kids (new for us all) while my husband gets to reminisce (he tells me this new Scooby-Doo! movie is much like the old t.v. shows).    And as a former Girl Scout with many years of camping under my belt, I thoroughly enjoyed this "Camp Scare" movie.  I relate the most to the brainy Velma of course, but we all enjoyed the antics of the entire Mystery, Inc. crew as they worked to solve the mystery at Fred's old campground.  A great movie for a lazy Sunday afternoon.  ★★★★

Bonus: Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Velma and Fred are on all new cases in Scooby-Doo! and the Spooky Swamp a new action adventure video game that lets players explore and uncover the mystery behind a strange swamp girl and her peculiar cauldron of brew. Kids and their friends can make believe they are their favorite Mystery, Inc. character as they travel beyond the swamp and into other haunted locales including a snow covered alpine village and a Southwestern ghost town. There, they can discover more clues and solve the mystery of the strange brew. The game will be available in fall 2010 on Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.

About Warner Bros. Animation: Warner Bros. Animation has been producing award-winning original animation since 1930, when it released its first cartoon, "Sinkin’ in the Bathtub." Since then, Warner Bros. Animation's characters have set the standard for innovative, quality animation.

Producing for network and cable television, online, home entertainment and feature films both domestically and internationally, Warner Bros. Animation is highly respected for its creative and technical excellence, as well as maintaining the studio's rich cartoon heritage. Warner Bros. Animation also oversees the creative use of, and production of animated programming based on classic animated characters from the Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics libraries. Warner Bros. Animation is one of the most honored animation studios in history, garnering a grand total of six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents' Choice Award, a Humanitas Award, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).

About Warner Home Video: With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, a division of the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group : Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment/videogames, direct-to-DVD production, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. WBHEG is responsible for the global distribution of content through DVD, electronic sell-through and VOD, and delivery of theatrical content to wireless and online channels, and is also a significant worldwide publisher for both internal and third party videogame titles.

For more information on this and other titles distributed by Warner Home Video, visit www.whvdirect.com.

This review was sponsored by The Lippin Group PR who provided the DVD for review and giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary CD ($19.98 value).

Rock Symphonies (review)

Rock Symphonies

Artist: David Garrett
Price: $10.00

Audio CD (July 20, 2010)

Number of Discs: 1

Label: Decca

From Music Moms:  Are you ready for a musical journey with one of today’s most breakthrough recording artists?

Rock Symphonies, the latest release from best-selling classical artist David Garrett, breathes new life into the classic music genre. A unique blend of classic violin music and contemporary rock songs, Rock Symphonies is a moving celebration of Garrett’s two loves: classical music and the rock-and-roll songs of his generation.


A child prodigy born in Germany, Garrett has been amazing fans around the world since he was a young boy. By age 12, Garrett was playing on stage with the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Russian National Orchestra. His self-titled debut album, David Garrett, debuted in the states at #1 on the Classical Crossover Chart and held the position for 31 solid weeks in 2009.

Product Description: Recorded at the historic Electric Lady Studios in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York City this release further shows Garrett's love of the classics and rock. Spanning decades; David interprets some the all time classic rock hit's such as Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" (featuring Orianthe on guitar) "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from Nirvana, Led Zepplin's "Kashmir", the Creedance Clearwater Revival classic "Rocking All Over The World", Guns N Roses "November Rain", Metallica's "Master Of Puppets", Queen's "Bicycle Race" and more. Also included David show's his versatility on tracks such as Vivaldi/Vertigo (U2), Peer Gynt, Beethoven's 5th. and others.
 
My take: As you may know, my taste in music runs the gamut from classical to country, to some hard rock (I'm evening digging the rap on a few Lady Gaga songs that are on my work out list!)  My husband, on the other hand, is a hard core, Hard Rock aficionado with little appreciation for any other music.  But let me tell you, even HE liked this new David Garrett CD (his comment on some of the songs were "this song was made for the violin.")  Me?  I didn't like it...I LOVED it.  Seriously.  I have worn this thing out with repeat play - my favorite is #3 "The 5th" - while Beethoven might be rolling in his grave, I am rockin' it all the way down the highway.  #6 Vivaldi vs. Vertigo (from U-2) is also a fav of mine while my husband like the more "modern" Walk This Way and Smells Like Teen Spirit (though he said Kurt Cobain is probably spinning in his grave over this rendition).  I've got to say, even if you THINK you absolutely abhor classical music of any kind, do yourself a favor and pick up this CD.  David's blend of violin and rock is like nothing you have ever heard.  And that sound? IS AWESOME.  ♥♥♥♥♥

Track Listing:

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit 4:06
2. November Rain 3:59
3. The 5th 3:33
4. Walk This Way 2:56
5. Toccata 3:52
6. Vivaldi Vs. Vertigo 3:15
7. Master Of Puppets 3:47
8. 80's Anthem 3:33
9. Live And Let Die 3:25
10. Asturias 2:57
11. Kashmir 3:38

The artist (from Music Moms):  David Garrett, named best-selling new classical artist of 2009, has released a groundbreaking second album this month to the delight of fans around the world.  Aptly titled Rock Symphonies, the album uniquely blends the former child prodigy's impressive violin skills with classic rock-and-roll songs from bands such as Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Nirvana to bring a fresh spin on the genre to a new generation of music lovers.  Garrett has toured all over the world and has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show and Good Morning America (He holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for the fastest performance of "The Flight of the Bumblebee" which he preformed on Oprah). Rock Symphonies is available at Best Buy, on iTunes and online at www.amazon.com.

I am proud to be a member of Team Mom's "Music Moms" who sponsored this review.

Presenting . . . Tallulah (review and giveaway)

Presenting . . . Tallulah

Tori Spelling (Author)

Vanessa Brantley Newton (Illustrator)

 

List Price: $16.99

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Aladdin (September 21, 2010)

Language: English

 
Product Description from the publisher: A debut picture book by New York Times bestselling author Tori Spelling! Meet the spunky little girl who, with the help of one special friend, is able to discover exactly who she is.

My take: I started this book by reading the inside front cover.  Let's take a look at that together:  "All her life, Tallulah has heard what she's not supposed to do: Don't get dirty...Don't talk loudly...Don't wear jeans like all the other kids...Tallulah knows plenty about what she can't do and what she shouldn't do, about what kind of girl she isn't. But it's up to her to figure out what kind of girl she is."  Sounds like a great book on learning the importance of learning for yourself what kind of person you are, not listening to others tell you what kind of person you should be, right?  What an awesome idea for a book to read to my daughter - the importance of self esteem and standing up for yourself. 

Yeah, so, does this book deliver on that idea? Well, yes and no.  Mostly, Presenting . . . Tallulah appears to be a thinly veiled autobiography by Tori Spelling.  A overly dramatic "woe is me" tale of a little girl who arrives to school each day in a limousine, wears clothes different from her classmates and whose parents only care about how she looks, not who she really is.  Of course, my opinion on the book is colored by having watched Tori Spelling grow up (and not being terribly impressed with her behavior as an "adult").  My daughter has no idea who she is though so she enjoyed the book more than I did.  She mostly just liked the little dog that was featured though :-) ★★

Bonus:  Get a sneak peek inside the book here.

About the Author: Tori Spelling is an actress whose career spans theater, television, and film. She's received critical praise for her work in such independent films as Trick and The House of Yes. She both starred in and executive produced the comedy series So NoTORIous on VH1 and the popular reality series Tori & Dean: Inn Love on Oxygen. She lives with her husband, Dean McDermott, son, Liam, and daughter, Stella, in Los Angeles.

The giveaway: One lucky winners will win his/her own copy of the Presenting . . . Tallulah, courtesy of Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing. [US ADDRESSES ONLY PLEASE]
 

To win: Leave a comment here telling me another Simon and Schuster Children's book that looks like a good read.  Be sure to leave your email address with your comment if you are not a blogger or your email is not easily found on your blog. This giveaway is open until 11:59 p.m., EST, Thursday, September 23, 2010.  Good Luck!

Bonus entries: Get up to 8 extra entries for a total of 9 entries (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

• "Like" (used to be "Fan") Simon and Schuster on Facebook (leave a comment here with your FB name-first name only is fine)
• Follow Simon and Schuster on Twitter @simonschuster or Simon and Schuster Teen @simonteen (leave a comment here with your twitter id)
• Blog about this giveaway (don't forget to leave the link in your comment here)
• Twitter, Stumble or Digg this giveaway
• Subscribe to my blog via RSS or Email (see top left sidebar)
• Add my blog to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar (leave your website address for verification)
• On Technorati - click on this link, then on Fan or Fav (or use the green link on the top left sidebar)
• Follow me on Blogger (see top left sidebar)

This review was sponsored by the Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing who provided the books for review and giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary book.

Pink Digital Photo Keychain‏ (review and giveaway)

Sponsored by Tomoson.com

Digital Photo Keychain

Product Description: Main features:

•1.5 inch 128x128 LCD display;
•4.8 MB internal memory which can store about 72 pictures;
•Auto / manual picture slide show, slide time adjustable.
•Manual switch between picture and time display
•Time display including date, week, hours, minutes and seconds.
•Time manual adjustable or sync with computer via software.
•Picture format: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF;
•Picture size automatically cut by software.
•Input / output picture via photo View software which contains in the attached CD
•Built-in rechargeable battery
•Charged / data downloaded via 5 pins USB cable
•Dimension: 5.5x4.1x1.2cm
•Weight: 85g

Package contents:
•1 x Photo Frame with key ring;
•1 x USB cable

My take: I typically have a stack of laminated pictures of my kids in my purse (yes, I have a laminating machine - I'm a total geek but it keeps the pictures from tearing up).  What this means is more purse clutter though so when I heard about digital key chains I was keen on trying one out.  What I found with this particular model was, even thought the idea is awesome, the actual product isn't so much.  The good:  very, very easy to load pictures.  You attach the keychain to the enclosed cord to your computer, their software uploads and you pick pictures off your hard drive to put on the keychain.  Easy-peasy.  And the attached keychain makes it a literal snap to put it on your keychain. The bad:  the quality of the pictures on the screen is not great - grainy and hard to see details.  And the menu and up down button are on the BACK of the keychain instead of on the more convenient front.  Of course, you can't expect much from something that is only about $10 though.  If you want a quick and easy way to keep pictures of your loved ones handy, this would be the way to go.  If you want quality pictures, look elsewhere.

The giveaway: One lucky winner will win his/her very own Pink Digital Photo Keychain!

To win: Leave a comment here telling me another keychain from the sponsor that catches your eye. 
Be sure to leave your email address with your comment if you are not a blogger or your email is not easily found on your blog. This giveaway is open until 11:59 p.m., EST, Wednesday, September 22, 2010. Good Luck!

Bonus entries: Get up to 7 extra entries for a total of 8 entries (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

• Blog about this giveaway (don't forget to leave the link in your comment)
• Twitter, Stumble or Digg this giveaway (leave a comment with a link)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave a comment with your twitter id)
• Subscribe to my blog via RSS or Email (see top left sidebar)
• Add my blog to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar (leave your website address for verification)
• On Technorati - click on this link, then on Fan or Fav (or use the green link on the top left sidebar)
• Follow me on Blogger (see top left sidebar)

This review was sponsored by WholesaleKeychain.com and Tomoson.com who provided the digital keychains for review and giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary keychain (a $9.99 USD value).

This Product Was a Free Giveaway

Clash of the Dinosaurs Collection

Clash of the Dinosaurs

SRP of $14.98

Runtime of 172 minutes (2 hours, 52 minutes)

Street date: August 24, 2010

From the PR firm: Clash of the Dinosaurs delves into the secret strengths and weaknesses of the incredible and diverse group of reptiles who ruled the earth for 120 million years. Using cutting edge technology, these episodes provide real life recreations and takes a new look at dinosaurs from the inside out and peel back their skin, their muscles, and even their brains to reveal their unique inner workings.

From Discovery: The four episodes are: 

1. Extreme Survivors: 120 million years of evolution made dinosaur bodies better adapted to their environment than any mammal today. The latest science reveals the anatomical secrets that made them such incredible survivors.
2. Perfect Predators: The Cretaceous Period spawned walking death machines with a savage combination of speed, eyesight, brainpower, and razor-sharp implements. The latest science reveals the anatomical secrets of these bloodthirsty carnivores.
3. The Defenders: Predators don't dominate the Cretaceous, plant eaters do. And their bodies are built to take a beating. The latest science reveals the anatomical secrets that made the world's largest vegetarians such successful survivors in a world of claws and teeth.
4. Generations: More than a million generations adapted dinosaurs to a changing planet. But each successful generation boils down to a single encounter between two like-minded reptiles. The latest science reveals the anatomical secrets to life and love among dinosaurs.

My take: My 8 year old absolutely loves all things dinosaurs so I sought out the PR firm for this DVD to see if we could review it.  Gaiam was very generous to provide us with the DVD so we could check it out.  Knowing it was a show from Discovery Channel, I knew the show would be good.  I just didn't know how much I would actually learn from it myself.  Of course, I'm NOT an 8 year old dinosaur fan so I don't know near as much as he does but "Clash of the Dinosaurs" provides so much information, I felt like I had just sat through the most awesome science class of my life, complete with the crazy professor (dude, that guy with the hat and long stringy hair is a must see).  And even though it is 2010, and I know we have all kinds of CGI technology now, it was still amazing to see how incredibly life like the dinosaurs are in this series.  Only one drawback to this show - it is SO realistic, it turned out to be a bit scary for my kiddo and he asked me to turn it off 1/2 of the way through.  So I'd probably bump up the age bracket to a 10 year old or so.  Otherwise, an awesome look at the world as it was millions of years ago. 

This review was sponsored by Gaiam, Inc who provided the DVD for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary DVD.

Secretariat (giveaway)

WALT DISNEY PICTURES

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG

U.S. Release Date: October 8, 2010

Cast: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, James Cromwell, Kevin Connolly, Nelsan Ellis, Dylan Baker, Margo Martindale, Otto Thorwarth, Fred Thompson, AJ Michalka and Scott Glenn

Director: Randall Wallace

Producers: Mark Ciardi & Gordon Gray

Executive Producers: William Johnson, Mike Rich

Written by: Mike Rich (writing credit not final)

Suggested by the book: “Secretariat: The Making of a Champion” by William Nack

From the PR Firm: Based on the remarkable true story, “Secretariat” chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father’s Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery—with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich)—manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time.

Notes:

• In 1973, Secretariat became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting race records that still stand today in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes.
• Penny Chenery, now 87, is an integral resource in the making of the film. She also appears as an extra in one of the film’s scenes.
• In 1973, Secretariat graced the covers of three magazines the same week: Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated.
• Director Randall Wallace, whose directorial credits include “We Were Soldiers,” is the Oscar®- and Golden Globe®-nominated screenwriter of “Braveheart.”
• In 1999, the U.S. Postal Service unveiled a 33-cent postage stamp with Secretariat’s image.

SECETARIAT trailer:

The giveaway:  One lucky reader will win all four of these products (Men’s T-Shirt, Women’s T-Shirt, Youth T-Shirt, Hat) pictured below:

To win: Leave a comment here telling me your favorite Walt Disney movie of all time.  Be sure to leave your email address with your comment if you are not a blogger or your email is not easily found on your blog. This giveaway is open until 11:59 p.m., EST, Friday, October 8, 2010 (a longer giveaway period at the request of the studio).  Good Luck!

Bonus entries: Get up to 10 extra entries for a total of 11 entries (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

• Follow Walt Disney Pictures on Twitter (leave a comment here with your twitter id)
• Follow SECRETARIAT on Twitter (leave a comment here with your twitter id)
• Like SECRETARIAT on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall that "CPA Mom sent me" (leave a comment here with your Facebook name)
• Blog about this giveaway (don't forget to leave the link in your comment)
• Twitter, Stumble or Digg this giveaway (leave a comment with a link)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave a comment with your twitter id)
• Subscribe to my blog via RSS or Email (see top left sidebar)
• Add my blog to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar (leave your website address for verification)
• On Technorati - click on this link, then on Fan or Fav (or use the green link on the top left sidebar)
• Follow me on Blogger (see top left sidebar)

This review was sponsored by Disney Theatrical PR who will provide the tshirts and hat for giveaway. I was not compensated in any way for this post.