Beauty and the Beast Collectible Pop Up Book

Beauty & the Beast: A Pop-up Book of the Classic Fairy Tale

By Robert Sabuda

Illustrated by: Robert Sabuda

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 12 pages
Publisher: Little Simon; Pop edition (October 19, 2010)
Language: English
List Price: $29.99

Description: Even more innovative than his last, Robert Sabuda will captivate all with his latest pop-up masterpiece, Beauty and the Beast! 

True love blooms in this three-dimensional adaptation of a beloved fairy tale. Amazing paper structures and classically styled artwork lead readers through a magical tale. Magnificent pop-ups of a life-like Beast, a mysterious castle and a spectacular rose garden make this all-new pop-up masterpiece a must-have for your family's library.

My take: Have you ever read "Beauty and the Beast?"  The original story I mean, not Disney's version.  I hadn't until I received this gorgeous book to read and review.  I know what you are thinking too - with a pop up book there can't be much of a story there as pop-up books tend to use all their space for pop-ups and very little is left for words.  Not so here.  This book is a beautiful piece of art to be sure - but the pop-ups are so cleverly integrated into the story, there is plenty of room for the whole tale (and it's a long one - don't start reading it just before bedtime or you'll run out of time.  Just sayin').  Each page has multiple pop-ups in multiple places - this book is absolutely amazing - a must see to be believed.  My daughter and I read it in the doctor's office waiting room (where we definitely had enough time grumble, grumble) and enjoyed every minute of our wait.  Now how many times can you say THAT about a doctor's office?  This would make an excellent Hanukkah or Christmas present - check it out today!  It's certainly not "your mother's" pop-up book. 

The giveaway: Win your very own copy of Beauty and the Beast: A Pop-up Book of the Classic Fairy Tale!

To win: Leave me a comment telling me another Simon and Schuster 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, Friday, December 10, 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"  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 (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 post was written for 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.

Get "Minted" this holiday season (review & discount)

Last year I was introduced to Minted (you can read my review here) and was asked by the company to do another review this year, a request I happily accepted.  Minted has 483 Photo Holiday Card designs to choose from this year to it was tough to narrow down to my choice of review cards - Minted also sent me an envelope of a bunch of samples, included samples of their new products.

So you might be asking, what’s new at Minted this holiday season?  And the answer from Minted is:

•ORDER NOW, UPLOAD PHOTOS LATER, in just a few, quick and easy steps
•BEAUTIFUL ACCESSORIES, including matching envelope liners, address labels, and card backers
•A GORGEOUS PHOTO CALENDAR, featuring unique designs, rounded corners and the highest quality paper (see below for more information)
•FASTER DELIVERY, upgrades to customer service and our website

As for actual cards you can order, here was a cool card that was in my bunch of samples - for those of you who write letters with your card, this would be a nice option instead:

holiday yearline cards 

Send your friends and family holiday photo cards with style this year. Our high-quality holiday Yearline cards were created exclusively for Minted by our talented community of independent designers. Each of our modern holiday cards is fully customizable with up to five family photos and accompanying storylines. Tell the story of your family's year in photos. All of our holiday photo cards are available on your choice of thick Signature paper, 100% recycled Premium paper, or Pearlescent paper.

Photo Calendars

All of our fabulous photo calendars come in two sizes

Standard (8" x 11.5"): Close to the size of a sheet of letter paper. the standard photo calendar: the perfect gift for everyone on your list. only $29

Grand (11.5" x 14"): Almost double the area of the Standard. Substantial.  the grand photo calendar: unique designs for every room in the house. only $39

And here is the card I ended up choosing: 

Making Spirits Bright Holiday Photo Cards

Description: Bold and joyous, merry and bright. These splashy Christmas cards are the perfect complement to your favorite family photo. 

My take:  Let me tell you, once I settled on the card to get, I had to download my pictures.  This was the longest part of the process.  I'm not sure if I caught them during a busy time or what but I actually walked away from the computer while my photos were uploading.  After that, the process went very quickly.  As in, I received the digital proof early the next day and once I approved it, I received the cards in the mail within 2-3 days.  Seriously, that quick.  Very impressive!  The cards, as usual, are awesome - first class all the way - thick heavy paper with clear bright pictures.  I'm very proud to mail these out and thankful to Minted for the opportunity once again to share their awesome product with my readers.

Bonus:  Use code SHARE10 at checkout to receive 10% OFF holiday cards and personal stationery.  Valid through December 15.

About Minted:  Minted.com is an online paper goods store and a global community of sophisticated graphic designers. "Our purpose in life is to uncover exceptional design from all over the world and bring this to savvy consumers who won't accept anything else."

We believe that great design lives and thrives in the hands of independent designers that consumers may not hear about or have access to through traditional retailers. Our mission is to allow you to discover design genius from all over the world, while at the same time providing an opportunity for designers to build their careers on merit alone.

Minted holds monthly design challenges to source designs from a large global community of designers. The Minted community selects the best designs in a highly competitive and meritocratic process, yielding a top selection of the freshest, finest cards in the world. You can vote too!

At Minted, we love the idea that our products will find their way into your most personal celebrations, and we don't take that honor lightly. That's why we only use fine paper stock, rich inks, and crisp printing methods. We guess you could say that quality is an obsession for us. We stand behind our products with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

This post was written for Minted who provided me with a coupon worth $72 off (25 cards) my complete order (I paid for 50 more cards) in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way except for the coupon.

.

Stained Glass NYC

From Team Mom:  Stained Glass NYC creates gorgeous one-of-a-kind stained glass boxes that would make thoughtful gifts for men or women. They’re made by the husband of one of our Child’s Play staffers and are a great one-size-fits-all/last minute/great holiday gift idea.

These are handmade, one-of-a-kind stained glass boxes that can be used for a variety of purposes, from holding jewelry to storing small office supplies to just looking great on a table or dresser.  

The fact that there are no two exactly alike makes them a genuinely unique gift and different designs make them suitable for men or women.  They work equally well as gifts for family and friends and for corporate gifting.

 Prices range from about $35 to $125. They are available for purchase only on Etsy, at http://www.etsy.com/shop/rfrodriguez?page=1

 




 

Along with lovely gift boxes, Stained Glass NYC also offers stained glass designs including wall hangings, sun catchers, iconic landmarks, and an array of custom work for the home.

Stained Glass NYC is avaliable for purchase here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/rfrodriguez?page=1

Find additional information about Stained Glass NYC here: http://www.stainedglassnyc.com/

 

I am proud to be a member of Team Mom, which sponsored this review. I did not receive any product of any kind for this review but I was entered into a drawing to receive one of the products in exchange for this post; at the time of this post I did not know if I had won the drawing or not.

Happy Thanksgiving!

To my sponsors and my readers, thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

I could not do this without all of you. 

ZipBin® (review and giveaway)

From the company:  ZipBin® brand playmates zip up to form storage boxes, bins and backpacks. Kids love them because of the fun and parents love them because of the clean-up and storage they provide.

The ZipBin® Story: Could messiness be the mother of invention? ZipBin® storage originated when my inventive 10-year-old son, Max, and I put our heads together for some true "out-of-the-box" problem solving. Like many boys, Max loves plastic building blocks. And he likes to dump them on the floor-CRASHHH!! Of course, I loved to see Max play, but I groaned when I heard that loud mess of blocks spilling everywhere. Neither Max nor I liked cleaning up all those little pieces.


Inspired by our problem, we thought creatively about how to solve it until... what if Max's toy bin unzipped to a play mat and zipped back up, capturing his toys? That would take the work out of having fun. It would be neat! And that's the name we chose for the company - Neat-Oh!® - that would introduce ZipBin® storage to the world...


My take:  We were lucky enough to receive the following two ZipBins to review: 

ZipBin® Superstar Condo Medium Basket Playmat

Description:  Keep your child's room TOTALLY NEAT with the ZipBin® Superstar Condo Medium Size Basket. ZipBin® Baskets are a traditionally-shaped basket with handles for easy storage and mobility. Unzipped, ZipBin® Baskets become an activity center perfect for play! When play is done, capture all the toys inside. 

Price: USD$19.95

Specs:

•Colorful, durable, wipe-clean surfaces

•Sturdy, heavy-duty zippers

•Meets child safety standards

•Patent pending

•Dimensions: 15.5L x 12.0W x 7.5H

LEGO® Black ZipBin® Large Basket and Playmat 

Keep your child's room TOTALLY NEAT with the LEGO® Mars ZipBin® Large Basket. The ZipBin® Baskets are a traditionally-shaped basket with handles for easy storage and mobility. Unzipped, ZipBin® Baskets become an activity center perfect for play! When play is done, capture all the toys inside. LEGO(R) Blocks not included. ZipBin(R) Products - TOTALLY NEAT! LEGO, The LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2009 LEGO Group.

Price:  USD$19.95

Specs:

•Colorful, durable, wipe-clean surfaces

•Sturdy, heavy-duty zippers

•Meets child safety standards

•Patent pending

Dimensions:  16.5Lx14Wx8.5H"

I asked to see the first one because I thought it would be perfect for all the Dora house pieces that have taken over my daughter's room and boy was it ever perfect!  As soon as I unzipped the sides and set it down on her floor, she set up room furniture right on it (the playmat shows different rooms in a home and she set up the furniture accordingly).  Then she got right to playing - using it like a "guest house" to her Dora home.  Then, when play time was over, we just set the sides up, zipped it up and had a handy bin with all those pieces stored inside - in a bin easily moved because of built in handles.  Even better?  The one I asked to see for my son stores all his Star Wars Lego pieces just as easily.  He lays the bin flat to play and zip-zip, zips it up with the pieces inside.   No more stepping on LEGOS strewn around his room.  And Neat-Oh! has a ton of choices in ZipBins - my son enjoyed "picking out" the next ones he wants me to buy him already.  I highly recommend ZipBins - playmats and storage cases in one.  Win-win!  (courtesy of my "why the heck didn't I think of that?" category.)

Bonus:  Purchase here and you get Free Shipping with orders over $75!

The giveaway: One lucky winner will win his/her very own ZipBin!

To win: Visit this page, then come back here and leave a comment here telling me which ZipBin is your favorite.  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, December 1, 2010. Good Luck!

Bonus entries: Get up to 9 extra entries for a total of 10 entries (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

•  Follow "Neat-Oh!" on Twitter (leave a comment here with your twitter id)
• "Like" Zip Bin Products on Facebook (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 Neat-Oh! who provided the ZipBins for review and giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary ZipBins.

ErgoMotion Laser Mouse (review and giveaway)

Whirl™ Laser Mouse w/ Anti-Gravity Comfort Pivot

From the company: This mouse is different from any others on the market because it features a patented pivot motion design. This allows the mouse to move with your natural hand and wrist positions, adapting to your unique movements while you work to help promote blood flow. It was designed along side with The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), located in New York City, which is one of the leading orthopedics hospitals in the country, a portion of our proceeds are donated to the HSS Rehabilitation Education Fund.  Smartfish Introduces anti-gravity comfort for your computer mouse— the Whirl™ Desktop's patented ErgoMotion™ pivot system makes your mouse feel like it's "floating on air!"  

The ErgoMotion Mouse connects wirelessly to your computer using 2.4GHz USB nano-tranceiver. No software is required. The nano-tranceiver is an intelligent plug-and-play device that provides instant and uninterrupted connection, wire free. The nano-tranceiver is also small enough to leave plugged into your laptop so you are ready to mouse all the time, wherever you are. Saving battery life is easy enough by switching the power on/off while traveling.Product Features:




800dpi Laser Mouse
2.4 GHz Wireless
Ambidextrous Design
Scroll Wheel with 4-way Scrolling
Wireless USB Connection

Technical Details:
Brand Name: Smartfish Technologies
Model: M2218B
Hardware Platform: PC, Mac
Input Device: Mouse
Form Factor: External
Connectivity Technology: Wireless
Movement Detection: Laser
Minimum system requirements: Microsoft Windows Vista / XP / 7, Apple MacOS X 10.2.8 or later
Color Name: Black
Price: $49.95




Where To Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Smartfish-Technologies-M2218B-ErgoMotion-Laser/dp/B002L6GDXO/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

My take: Between my "real" job and this review "job," I literally spend hours on the computer each day.  And the pain in my wrists at the end of the day can testify to that effect.  It's no surprise really because I know I have zero ergonomically correct computers or devices on either of my desks.  So I was really excited to get this ErgoMotion Laser Mouse.  I installed it on my computer at work (after getting permission from our computer support team) and that "installation?" Literally took seconds.  I pulled out the transceiver from the bottom of the mouse and plugged it in on the computer.  No software needed.  Plug it in and you are done.  I've used this mouse every day at work now for 2 weeks and let me tell you, I will "never go back."  It's more sensitive than an ordinary mouse so I've found I tend to hit to right button by accident quite a bit but that's a small matter compared to the benefits.  It really does feel like my mouse is floating on air. And my wrist and hand? Have never felt better.  I've got this mouse on my Santa list for my home computer now.  Try and I guarantee you'll be thanking me.  ErgoMotion Laser Mouse is the definitely the best mouse I have ever used. 

The giveaway: One lucky winner will win his/her very own ErgoMotion Laser Mouse (US and CANADIAN addresses only please)!

To win: Leave a comment here telling me another Smartfish Technologies product.  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, Tuesday, November 30, 2010. Good Luck!

Bonus entries: Get up to 9 extra entries for a total of 10 entries (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

• Follow Smartfish Technologies on Twitter (leave a comment with your twitter id)
• "Like" Smartfish Technologies on Facebook (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 post was written for Family Review Network and Smartfish Technologies who provided the item for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product.

Peanuts Holiday Collection & Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales (Review and Giveaway)

WARNER HOME VIDEO BRINGS ALL-TIME FAVORITE, HOLIDAY PEANUTS FAMILY CLASSICS TO CONSUMERS ON BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH THE RELEASE OF PEANUTS HOLIDAY COLLECTION

Peanuts Holiday Collection (A Charlie Brown Christmas / It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown / A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving) [Blu-ray]

Format: Color, Full Screen  

Language: English

Number of discs: 3

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Warner Home Video

DVD Release Date: October 5, 2010

Run Time: 150 minutes

Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales

Actors: Wesley Singerman, Serena Berman, Corey Padnos, Megan Taylor Harvey, Chrystopher Ryan Johnson

Directors: Larry Leichliter

Writers: Charles M. Schulz

Producers: Bill Melendez, Lee Mendelson, Warren Taylor

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Warner Home Video

DVD Release Date: October 5, 2010

Run Time: 41 minutes

Product Description:

Tis the season for the cheer and charm of the Peanuts kids - and this delight special offers five segments full of unforgettable moments. Snoopy works as a bell-ringer to raise money and tries making peace with the ferocious cat next door. Linus strives to strike the right tone in his letter to Santa - and his friendship with an indecisive girl at school. Sally's idea about gift giving and the identity of Santa may be unusual - but her strange notion about how to obtain a Christmas tree surprisingly does the job. Lucy tries awfully hard to be nice...and still coax everyone around her to buy her presents. Charlie Brown and Sally wait up for Santa (a surprisingly short man), who spreads Christmas gift cheer further than they had thought. Make merry!

From the studio – This holiday season, consumers will have an opportunity to enjoy some of their all-time favorite animated Peanuts television specials in a whole new way, when Warner Home Video (WHV) releases the Peanuts Holiday Collection on Blu-ray™ hi-def format for the first time on October 5, 2010. Peanuts Holiday Collection, which is comprised of three beloved specials including A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, A Charlie Brown Christmas and It’s a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown will retail for $42.93 SRP.


Available separately on October 5, WHV will also offer consumers Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales, which will retail at $14.97 SRP. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be released on Blu-ray™ hi-def format for the first time on September 7, 2010. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will retail for $24.98 SRP.


Peanuts Holiday Collection BD features a set of three of the most popular and memorable Peanuts seasonal classics and loads of bonus episodes. The specials will come in a Blu-ray + DVD Pack which includes both the Blu-ray and DVD editions of the specials.

Peanuts Holiday Collection BD Featured Specials:

* A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving – In this Emmy® Award-winning special, Peppermint Patty invites herself to Charlie Brown’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. Marcie and Franklin are soon added as dinner guests. Charlie Brown admits that his culinary skills are limited to “cold cereal and maybe toast.” Snoopy and Woodstock transform the ping-pong table in the backyard into a dinner table. As the guests arrive, they are each served two slices of buttered toast, some pretzel sticks, popcorn and jelly beans. Patty is outraged at the meal and berates Charlie Brown until embarrassed and dejected, he leaves the table and goes back into the house.


* It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – This Emmy® Award-nominated special, finds the Peanuts gang outfitted in costumes, ready for trick or treating and crashing Violet’s Halloween party. Charlie Brown is in a ghost costume (with more eyeholes cut out than needed), Lucy dressed as a witch and Snoopy in a World War I flying ace costume. Linus decides to steadfastly hold vigil in the pumpkin patch as he awaits the Great Pumpkin.

* A Charlie Brown Christmas – In this Emmy® and Peabody Award winning classic, Charlie Brown is upset by how commercial the Christmas holiday has become. To coax him out of his holiday blues, Lucy suggests he direct the school’s Christmas pageant and decorate a glorious tree. Charlie Brown concedes. The tree he finds however, is puny, prompting everyone to ridicule him.

Peanuts Holiday Collection BD Bonus Episodes:
* The Mayflower Voyagers – In this bonus episode from the This is America, Charlie Brown series, the Peanuts kids become pilgrims sailing to the New World aboard the Mayflower and endure the first hard winter on Plymouth Plantation.

* It’s Magic, Charlie Brown – This bonus episode finds Snoopy putting on a show after he checks out a book on magic tricks from the library. With Marcie and Sally as his assistants, he performs many tricks (some that work and some that don’t) before an audience. The grand finale features the biggest trick of all, making Charlie Brown disappear. To everyone’s amazement, Snoopy makes him invisible but doesn’t know how to bring Charlie Brown back. Will Snoopy find a way to reverse the trick?


* It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown – This bonus episode is the second Christmas-themed Peanuts episode since A Charlie Brown Christmas. Holiday preparations include Charlie Brown selling wreaths door-to-door to make extra money, Peppermint Patty sweating out an important book report and the entire crew appearing in a Christmas pageant.


Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales, which originally premiered on ABC in 2002, is comprised of a series of delightful animated vignettes, each of which showcase a different member of the Peanuts gang.


The rarely seen Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown? is also featured on this release. Charlie Brown and pals face the departure of Linus and Lucy, who must move when their father is transferred to a job in another town.


WHV will also release the Emmy® Award winning classic A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Blu-ray™ hi-def format for the first time. This release will come in a Blu-ray + DVD Pack which includes a Blu-ray and DVD. Special features include a bonus episode, The Mayflower Voyagers and a new featurette titled The Making of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. This featurette takes a look at the final installment of the Peanuts holiday trilogy and what it meant to its creators.


“To many, watching these seasonal specials on TV each year has turned into an important tradition. We wanted to capture these programs in one beautiful collection and preserve them in gorgeous Blu-ray definition so that they could be shared with future generations,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing. He added, “Peanuts Holiday Collection is a must-have DVD compilation. It features some of Charles Schulz’s greatest work and we are proud to offer it to consumers.”

Other classic animated Peanuts specials available in stores now from WHV include It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown BD (available in a Blu-ray + DVD Pack which includes a Blu-ray and DVD in a standard definition edition), Peanuts Holiday Collection (standard definition edition), I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition (standard definition edition), A Charlie Brown Christmas BD (Blu-ray™ hi-def format and standard definition editions) and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Deluxe Edition (standard definition edition).

My take:  You can't go wrong with classic Peanuts shows on DVD this holiday season.  I don't know about you, but our holidays from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas just are not complete until we watch the Charlie Brown holiday specials.  It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown starts off the holidays right as we spend the evening in the pumpkin patch with ever faithful Linus.  We follow up with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving so we can be thankful we are eating dinner that doesn't include popcorn and toast!  And for Christmas, well for Christmas we have a plethora of Charlie Brown episodes, including the classic  A Charlie Brown Christmas (who can forget that pitiful tree?) from the Holiday Collection DVD and Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales - an entirely separate DVD with more Charlie Brown fun.  These movies would be the perfect stocking stuffers for the Charlie Brown (or Little Red Headed Girl) in your life - pick them up today!

The giveaway: One lucky winner will win his/her very own copy of each of these products (4 DVDs in all)!! (US Address only please)

To win: Leave a comment here telling me which Charlie Brown movie is your favorite.  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, Tuesday, November 30, 2010. Good Luck!

Bonus entries: Get up to 9 extra entries for a total of 10 entries (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

• Follow Warner Brothers Entertainment on Twitter (leave a comment here with your twitter id)
• "Like" Warner Brothers Entertainment on Facebook (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)

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.

This review was sponsored by The Lippin Group PR who provided the DVDs for review and giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary DVDs.

Mickey Mote

THERE'S A WHOLE NEW WAY FOR KIDS TO WATCH AND PLAY!

Handy Manny: Big Construction Job

Handy Manny: Big Construction Job is a fun-filled, full-length adventure that takes Manny out of Sheet Rock Hills and to a new construction project out of town! Introducing new tools, new songs and a never-before-seen episode, Handy Manny stars Wilmer Valderrama (TV's "That 70's Show") as the voice of Manny. It is a top 5 television series with preschoolers 2-5, and is an Emmy®-nominated show, set in a multicultural, multi-generational community and follows a curriculum that models problem solving and the importance of community.

Suggested retail price: 1 Disc DVD + Mickey Mote = $29.99 US/ $35.99 Canada; 1 Disc DVD = $26.99 US/$29.99 Canada

Rated: U.S. 'TV-G' / Canada 'G'

Run time: Approximately 69 minutes

• 2 New Songs

• Never-before-seen episode “Good Fences / Butterflies”

Product Description:

Put on your hard hats and team up with Handy Manny on an awesome full-length adventure! Join Manny and his Tools as they head out of town to work on an exciting construction project in Concrete Falls. Meanwhile, back in Sheet Rock Hills, Mr. Lopart tries to fill in for Manny – with hilarious results! Can Kelly convince Manny to come home and save the day? Introducing new Power Tools, new songs, and a wonderful message about the rewards of taking on new challenges, Big Construction Job is fully loaded with tons of fun for everyone!

THE ALL-NEW MICKEY MOTE, A CHILD-SIZED REMOTE CONTROL, PROVIDES HOURS OF FUN WITH AN ENHANCED, INTERACTIVE VIEWING EXPERIENCE

The New "Mickey Mote" Will Debut with the Release of Disney's New Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Number Roundup and Handy Manny: Big Construction Job DVDs on November 16th

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Numbers Roundup

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Numbers Roundup features more than 100 minutes of content with five exciting, numbers-themed adventures. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is the #1 program on Playhouse Disney as well as the #1 series with children between the ages of two and five years. Bonus features include a never-before-seen (until 1/1/11) bonus episode as well as the Discovery Mode feature.

Suggested retail price: 1 Disc DVD + Mickey Mote = $29.99 U.S. / $35.99 Canada; 1 Disc DVD = $26.99 U.S. / $29.99 Canada

Rated: U.S. 'TV-G.' Canada 'G'

Run time: Approximately 100 minutes

• 4 episodes themed to counting and numbers recognition

• Plus a never-before-seen episode in bonus – Over 100-plus minutes of content

Product Description: 

Rustle Up Some Fun! Howdy Mousekeroos! It’s time to put on your cowboy hats, grab your lassos and help Mickey, Goofy and all your Clubhouse pals wrangle a boisterous herd of wild numbers into Mickey Corral. Laugh it up as you count ‘em down from 10 to 1, and rustle up the right Mouseketools to catch those rascally numbers! Then search for Daisy Bo Peep’s lost sheep, decode a secret message, and solve more super fun puzzles. For big surprises and rootin’, tootin’ fun from sun up to sundown, count on Mickey’s Numbers Round-Up!

 
From the studio: On November 16th Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is releasing the Mickey Mote. This one-of-a-kind kid’s remote control (shaped like Mickey ears) will provide a whole new viewing experience for children. Kids can control the remote and interact with their favorite Disney characters. Multiple levels of play guarantee hours of fun as well as challenging adventures. For it’s debut Mickey Mote will be packaged with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Number Roundup and Handy Manny: Big Construction Job.

This coming holiday, parents and their preschoolers will discover a whole new way to watch and play their favorite Disney preschool DVDs, with the all-new "Mickey Mote". This one-of-a-kind, kid's remote control, from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, will debut this November 16th packed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Number Roundup and Handy Manny: Big Construction Job. The new "Mickey Mote" is a child-friendly handheld remote control, shaped like Mickey ears, that will take children's viewing experience to a whole new level by providing an engaging interaction with their favorite Disney characters. With multiple levels of play, the new Mickey Mote will provide hours of fun, engaging and challenging adventures for kids age 2-5. The Mickey Mote is a value for moms and fun for kids!

How It Works:  The Mickey Mote works with any Disney Preschool DVD that includes Discovery Mode(tm), the interactive "Watch and Play" feature on the DVD! All parents have to do is program the remote control - there's an easy and quick set-up guide in each DVD- and select the Discovery Mode feature on the menu screen. Within minutes, kids will be easily responding to questions, throughout the story, about scenes they just watched (such as "What color is Goofy's hat?") by pressing one of four color-coded buttons on the device -- a yellow star, green circle, orange triangle or blue square - to click in their responses. Discovery Mode features include two levels of play, which provides more challenging questions as the child grows.

Why Parents Will Love It: Once families have purchased a Disney Preschool DVD that comes packaged with the Mickey Mote, they can continue to build their Disney Preschool libraries as the Mickey Mote works in compatibility with any Discovery Mode enhanced DVD. For example, kids can immediately use the remote with any of the following titles:


* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally
* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland
* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Choo Choo
* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie's Bow-Tique
* Handy Manny: Manny's Motorcycle Adventure
* Handy Manny: Manny's Big Race
* Little Einsteins: Fire Truck Blast Off
* My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Super Duper Super Sleuths
* My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Bedtime With Pooh

Note: Discovery Mode can also be played using any DVD remote control.


Look for more Discovery Mode DVDs on future Disney Preschool franchise releases such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny!

My take:  We recently received these two DVDs to watch, along with the new Mickey Mote.  Let me tell you, the movies were beside the point once my kiddos saw the remote.  A kid sized remote, shaped like Mickey Mouse, just for them?! Awesome!  They've been playing the games and such on the Disney DVDs Discovery Mode for a while now but for my younger child, it's been a bit more difficult for her to navigate the "adult" remote, what with all the tiny buttons.  Not so with this new Mickey Mote - four large buttons, color coded for the games, made game playing a snap!  And we have just about all of those other DVDs already that it works with (besides these two new DVDs we got described above).  Set up could not have been easier - you program the "mote" using the enclosed instructions and away you go.  As always, there are two levels of play - beginning and a more challenging level.  We love the new Mickey Mote and highly recommend it as a stocking stuffer or Hanukkah gift this year.  ★★★★

Mickey Mote Trailer Clip:


Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Fun Fact- Mars



Puzzle



Handy Manny
Fun Fact- Dogs and Cats


About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment:  Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product, which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc(tm) and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of Disney Enterprises, Inc.

This post was written for Click Communications who provided the movie for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary DVD.

 

The Search For Santa Paws

The Search For Santa Paws (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

DVD 29.99 SRP (US), $35.99 (Canada); Blu‐ray $39.99 (US) and
$44.99 (Canada)Actors: Zachary Gordon, Richard Riehle, Danny Woodburn

Directors: Robert Vince

Language: English

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Number of discs: 2

Rated: G (General Audience)

Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: November 23, 2010

Run Time: 88 minutes

“Someone once told me that the spirit of Christmas is embodied in the hearts of children, untouched as of yet by the doubts, fears and disappointments of the adult world.”

--Santa Claus in “The Search for Santa Paws”

From the PR Firm: Disney’s unbeatable and irresistible talking dogs are back – in an all‐new holiday movie for the whole family, with THE SEARCH FOR SANTA PAWS. Debuting on Blu‐ray hi‐def and DVD on November 23, 2010 just in time for Thanksgiving (US 11/25) and kicking off the holiday season around the world, the heartwarming family adventure joins the legacy of great dog‐filled tales from the creators of the “Buddies” films, the most popular live action direct‐to‐DVD franchise ever.


DISNEY’S THE SEARCH FOR SANTA PAWS is an exciting and uplifting movie from director Robert Vince about the power of giving and the true meaning of Christmas in the tradition of Disney’s classic holiday tales. This big city adventure for the whole family reveals the how the legendary friendship of Santa Claus and Santa Paws began.


DISNEY’S THE SEARCH FOR SANTA PAWS comes with a stocking full of fantastic bonus features, including:


• An interactive Animated Pop‐Up Book – ‘Buddies’ puppy star Rosebud reads a holiday story featuring new canine friends from The Search For Santa Paws


• Sing‐Along Mode ‐ colorful lyrics added to the film’s song sequences, so audiences can sing along to the film’s fantastic new songs.


• Music Video – tween favorite Debby Ryan (Disney Channel’s Suite Life on Deck) performs a great new arrangement of ‘Deck The Halls.’


• Deleted scenes


The film follows in the tradition of Disney’s classic holiday tales with a heartwarming story about the power of giving and the true meaning of Christmas. An exciting prequel, the movie allows kids of all ages to discover how the legendary friendship of Santa Claus and Santa Paws began – as it is the inspiring original film (in a timeline it precedes 2009’s Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws).


In the movie, when Santa and his new best friend, Paws, discover that the boys and girls of the world have lost the spirit of the season, they take a trip to New York City. But after Santa loses his memory, it’s up to Paws, a faithful orphan named Quinn (America’s Got Talent’s Kaitlyn Maher), her new friend Will (The Game Plan’s Madison Pettis) and a wonderful group of magical talking dogs to save St. Nick and show the world what Christmas is really all about. Do you believe in Santa Paws? Experiencing this sure‐to‐be holiday classic, full of fun, adventure and a carrying the timeless messages of the holidays, with surely delight the entire family!


My take:  Last year's movie "Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws" remains one of our family's favorite go-to holiday movies.  Any long time reader knows how much my 6 year old loves the entire Buddies line of movies (see below for a recap of the line from the studio).  This addition to the franchise is a prequel to last year's Santa Paws movie - and one not to be missed by Buddies fans like my daughter.  We recently sat down to watch this together and soon my son joined us as well.  You can't help but love a movie with a group of adorable dogs on the race to save Christmas (though I wasn't a huge fan of this Santa - he seems a little unbelievable to me for some reason).  But no matter, all in all, whether you believe in Santa Paws Claus or not, this tale is sure to warm your heart this Christmas; the perfect family movie for the season.  And the Sing-Along-Mode was our favorite from the extras - any chance to dance and sing is a hit with my daughter.  The Search for Santa Paws would make a wonderful stocking stuffer for your own kiddos (especially with that FREE Plush Pup - see below)! ♥♥♥♥

Bonus (1, 2 and 3): With the Blu-ray and DVD release of Disney's THE SEARCH FOR SANTA PAWS on November 23rd, we've got a few early holiday gifts:

1)  Disney Movie Rewards has a special Pre-Order offer that includes a FREE Plush Pup!
http://www.disneymovierewards.go.com/presell-titles/SantaPaws?cmp=dmov_dmr_pre_twtr_santa-paws

2)  Here's an all-new Sneak Peek of the film!

3)

Download these coloring and activity pages for yourself (to print and play):

http://tinyurl.com/SantaPawsActivities

Trailer

Huckle Buckle Hero Intro (Bonus)

Deck the Halls by Debby Ryan (Bonus)

Christmas Cause (Film)

ABOUT THE DOGGONE POPULAR FRANCHISE: Few things are more appealing, adorable and elicit bigger enthusiasm than man’s best friend. From classic Old Yeller to classy Beverly Hills Chihuahua to animated Bolt, one of Hollywood’s surest ways to delight audiences of all ages lies firmly at the feet of our four‐legged friends. Since the 1997 big‐screen debut of the sports‐minded Golden Retriever star “Buddy,” audiences have thrilled to the high‐stakes antics in the AIR BUD movie series with its fantastic sportsthemed adventures including basketball, football, soccer, volleyball and even America’s national pastime – baseball!  A quintet of adorable talking puppies followed the “Bud” movies in 2006, with the highly anticipated launch of the BUDDIES series – and a puppy craze began as AIR BUDDIES became the biggest live‐action Direct‐To‐DVD movie of the year!


Following in those triumphant paw prints, the wise‐cracking pups went North to Alaska to compete in a daring dogsled adventure, barking up yet another #1 for 2008, as SNOW BUDDIES crossed the finish line as the best‐selling live‐action Direct‐to‐DVD of all time! Released to Disney DVD in February 2009, SPACE BUDDIES sent the puppies where no dog has gone before, and rocketed another hit into the homes of millions. With SANTA BUDDIES in 2009, director Robert Vince brought the popular puppy franchise to Christmas, with the overwhelmingly popular story that joined the ranks of the Disney dog classics, on the way to becoming the biggest live‐action Direct‐to‐DVD release of the year ‐ again.

This post was written for Click Communications who provided the movie for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary DVD.



Printable Santa Letters.com (review and giveaway)

From the sponsor: Printable Santa Letters.com was started by two moms with young kids. Our goal is to make it easy for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and teachers to share the magic of Santa Claus with children. We offer a fast, easy and affordable way for anyone to become one of Santa's elves.


Simply choose the text of your letter and a background image. Then fill in the blanks. You'll be shown a preview of your Santa letter, which you can approve, or you can go back and try another letter or design. It just takes a few minutes.


Once you're satisfied, you can choose one of our three Santa letter packages, from the basic package with just a letter and an envelope for only $3.99, or one of our larger packages that include extra goodies such as a personalized Nice List Certificate or an autographed photo of Santa. You'll receive a link to instantly download your products and then you can print them right from your computer. It's easy, fun, and will save you money over the full-service Santa letter sites.

My take: Every year for Christmas, "Santa" mails a letter to both my kiddos.  Normally, I go to some website and pay money to receive the letter in the mail some period of time later.  But what if I forgot to get this done in time?  What if "Santa's Elves" forgot to have "Santa" write the letter in time?  Do not fret - Printable Santa Letters.com is just the site for that emergency (and really for all of Santa's letters) as you (Santa's elf) print out the letters and such yourself - available instantly after your order.  How awesome is that?  And this site could NOT be any easier to use.  First you choose the letter template:  General Santa Letter 1, 2 or 3, Reply to Child's Letter to Santa, Baby's First Christmas Santa Letter, New Sibling Santa Letter, You're in Kindergarten Santa Letter or Christian Santa Letter (I used the later two - I got one for free for the review and liked the product so much I paid $8.99 for the 2nd).  Step 2 - choose from 6 paper/background designs.  Step 3 - enter a few basic pieces of information about your child.  Step 4 - Preview the letter.  Step 5 - link to Paypal to pay (important, wait for paypal to take you back to the Printable Santa Letters website, don't click on that link to go back yourself). Step 6 - save and print your letters and such (the envelope provided has been "stamped" so it really looks like the post office mailed it).  You will also get an email with links to those letters or you can retrieve them from the website later with your email address.  Easy peasy and so cool.  Questions?  Be sure to check out Frequently Asked Questions.  Now get to "writing" those letters, you elves - tick tock, tick tock, it's almost Christmas!
 
Bonus:  Santa's Blog with links to other cool Christmas themed items (for free and for sale) around the WWW. 

The giveaway: One lucky winner will win the Gold Package (Package #1). This includes a personalized letter from Santa, a letter from Rudolph, a personalized Nice List certificate, an autographed Santa photo and two envelope designs.

To win: Leave a comment here telling me which Santa letter you'd pick if you won. 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, Monday, November 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 post was written for Family Review Network and Printable Santa Letters.com who provided the complimentary product for review and giveaway in exchange for my honest opinion.