2/10/13: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - Pinkie Pie Party

My daughter has always liked My Little Pony.  She was extremely excited when she heard about the new DVD - My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - Pinkie Pie Party.

The ponies are adorable and the episodes were super cute.  It was a life saver during the blizzard we just had.

Here are a couple preview clips of the DVD.

 


My Little Pony: Frendship Is Magic - Pinkie Pie Party was available in stores on January 29th from Shout! Factory Kids.  Both my 5 year old daughter and 7 year old son enjoyed watching it.  

More about the DVD:

Let’s Paaaarrr-ty! My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - Pinkie Pie Party is coming to DVD January 29th from Shout! Factory Kids in collaboration with Hasbro Studios! Bonus features include a Sing-Along and a Party Activity Kit. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - Pinkie Pie Party is priced at $14.97 SRP and will be available exclusively at Walmart. 

 Come join the fun! It’s the biggest collection of parties in Ponyville and you’re invited! Get your Pinkie Pie party outfit ready to enjoy five outrageously awesome parties with everypony’s favorite friends — Twilight Sparkle, Apple Jack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Spike and the ultimate party planner herself, Pinkie Pie! The My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic series is currently airing on The HUB TV Network. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - Pinkie Pie Party Episodes Include: Feeling Pinkie Keen Party Of One Baby Cakes A Friend In Deed Too Many Pinkie Pies Bonus Features: Sing-Along Party Activity Kit Program Running Time: Approx. 110 minutes 

You can Like Shout Factory on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shout-Factory/57640591309
You can follow Shout Factory on Twitter here: @ShoutFactory

You can follow Hasbro on Twitter here: @HasbroNews

Disclosure:  I was provided with this My Little Pony DVD for review purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

11/12/12: Peppa Pig New Collection of Toys

Next up in my Holiday Gift Guide are new Peppa Pig toys from Fisher-Price.  These are great for preschoolers on your list or as I learned little ones in Kindergarten like them too as you can see here.  Peppa Pig is now sleeping in Lauren's room with her.  She is called Hug 'n Oink Peppa and when you squeeze her she laughs, snorts and talks.  So cute.

 Lauren really has enjoyed hugging her to hear all that she has to say.  She thinks she is adorable.  We also received the Peek 'n Surprise Playhouse and Peppa Pig DVD with a 60 minute compilation of 10 "peppasodes" as aired on Nick Jr.

 Lauren loves doll houses so the Playhouse was a big hit with her.  One feature I liked about it is that at the top you can see a handle coming out.  You can use this to carry the house around when it is closed up and you can put all the accessories in it.  I love portable toys.  Great to bring to Grandma and Grandpa's house or to play dates.

 The other thing Lauren quickly learned is that a lot of panels on the pieces turned around to display other views.  For example you could change the kitchen table to have two different pictures, switch the sink from messy to clean, change what is baking in the oven, the washer even displays a sock being washed, and the bath tub can go from empty to a bubble bath.

 Here is Lauren switching it on the oven to show me the pie baking.

 This is the full set with all that it comes with.  Super cute!  This Peek 'n Surprise Playhouse is only sold at Toys 'R Us.

 The kids ended up playing together with the Playhouse while watching the Muddly Puddles and Other Stories DVD of stories.  It is also available on iTunes as a digital download for $9.99.

 Evan loved showing me the different faces of the components.

 Here are all three as packaged.  What great gifts this holiday season!

To learn more visit:  www.PeppaPig.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPeppaPigUS

Disclosure:  I was provided these products for review by being part of Team Mom.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own. 

1/11/12: Is it Going to Be The Big Year for You?

Is 2012 your BIG YEAR????

WHEN IT COMES TO COMEDY…NO GAME NO FOWL

I was able to receive a review copy of The Big Year.  What a super cute movie with such a great cast.  I am a Steve Martin fan so I was happy to see him in it.  My husband and I both enjoyed it.  It was funny to see three such different actors come together and have such chemistry.  I was also not aware of this bird searching and the term "The Big Year"

More about the movie:

Comedic Icons Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson Star in the Hilarious Outdoor Adventure Coming to Blu-ray and DVD January 31!

Let the fowl play begin! Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents the story of a competitive trio who quickly turn a simple quest into the ultimate competition when THE BIG YEAR spreads its wings on Blu-ray and DVD January 31.

Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson portray three men from very different walks of life, facing a mid-life crisis, a work-life crisis and a no-life crisis. In the biggest competition of their lives, they undertake an unforgettable trek through North America, engaging in hilarious and bizarre adventures and forming friendships that will last a lifetime!

Directed by David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, Marley & Me) and featuring outrageous supporting performances from Joel McHale (“Community”), Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”), Angelica Huston (50/50), Dianne Wiest (“In Treatment”),Brian Dennehy (The Next Three Days), Rashida Jones (“Parks and Recreation”), Kevin Pollak (Red State) and Anthony Anderson (Scream 4), THE BIG YEAR Blu-ray is loaded with special features including the theatrical and extended editions of the film, over 40 minutes of deleted scenes and the featurette “The Big Migration.” The Blu-ray combo pack and single-disc DVD will be available for an average retail price of $29.99 and $19.99 respectively.
THE BIG YEAR Blu-ray Special Features

Is it time for your Big Year?  Use this Checklist:

Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt
Disclosure:  I received this DVD for review purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

12/5/11: X-Men First Class Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED:  CONGRATULATIONS TO ROBIN! 
Looking for a gift for a man on your list, here it is:  X-Men First Class.  I know my husband likes X-Men movies and I am sure you know many men that would like this so I am giving away a DVD of it.

About the movie:  X-Men: First Class is the thrilling, eye-opening chapter you’ve been waiting for...Witness the beginning of the X-Men Universe. Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their superhuman powers for the first time, working together in a desperate attempt to stop the Hellfire Club and a global nuclear war.

Here is the official Trailer.

Here is how to enter

1 entry for each item:

- Comment here on this post on who you would give the DVD to. (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you. Also if you have problems, just Preview the comment and it should work. Make sure you see comment posted.

Additional Entries:

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side)

- Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this for a daily entry): Win X-Men First Class on DVD from @galiberti.  http://bit.ly/sJ9wzW #Giveaway
Contest closes Wednesday, December 14th, 2011.  US only.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Disclosure: I received this DVD for this Giveaway.  All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.

12/5/11: Ice Age A Mammoth Christmas Special DVD Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED:  CONGRATULATIONS AMY!
We have loved Ice Age movies.  The kids have giggled in delight while watching the.  Why not spend the holidays with your favorite prehistoric friends as they try to save Christmas for the whole world! Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary, and Seann William Scott all lend their voices to this hilarious tale of a group of friends out to save the holiday season. Kids will love this addition to the Ice Age family of films, so bring it home for your family!

More Details:  When Sid accidentally destroys Manny's heirloom Christmas rock and ends up on Santa's naughty list he leads a hilarious quest to the North Pole to make things right and ends up making things much worse. Now its up to Manny and his prehistoric posse to band together and save Christmas.  Run time: 26 minutes Rating: G

Here is how to enter to win this DVD:

1 entry for each item:

- Comment here on this post on who you would give the DVD to. (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you. Also if you have problems, just Preview the comment and it should work. Make sure you see comment posted.

Additional Entries:

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side)

- Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this for a daily entry): Win Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special DVD from @galiberti. http://bit.ly/sjeHxs #Giveaway
Contest closes Wednesday, December 14th, 2011.  US only.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Disclosure: I received this DVD for this Giveaway.  All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.

12/1/11: Mr. Popper's Penguins DVD

I was lucky enough to receive Mr. Popper's Penguins to review.  What a super cute movie that is appropriate for the whole family.  It is always nice to have a wholesome movie that you can watch with the family and enjoy.  I have added it to my Holiday Gift Guide.

The kids (and I) were giggling away through so much of the movie. The penguins were adorable.  Stinky was especially amusing to all of us. 

Here are some cute Activity Sheets for your kids to enjoy.

Here is the official synopsis of the movie:

Just in time for the holidays, enjoy Jim Carrey (A Christmas Carol) in MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS, on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on December 6th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. The whole family will be full of laughs watching Mr. Popper, a driven businessman who is clueless when it comes to the important things in life until he inherits six, “adorable” and mischievous penguins.

As Mr. Popper quickly gets acquainted with – and increasingly attached to – his winged roommates, his life quickly unravels: the deal he’s long been working on with a formidable socialiate, Mrs. Van Gundy, played by the acclaimed Angela Lansbury (Murder She Wrote, Beauty and the Beast), is derailed and Popper almost lands in jail. While Popper’s penguins turn his swank New York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland - they teach him valuable lessons about family- human and otherwise!

MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS is based on a novel, originally published in 1938, written by the husband and wife team of Richard and Florence Atwater. Awarded the Newbery Medal in 1939, Mr. Popper’s Penguins became a classic through generations, and is a staple on elementary school shelves to this day. The Blu-ray and DVD bonus feature “The Legacy of Mr. Popper’s Penguins” highlights literary experts and family of Richard and Florence Atwater telling the fascinating story behind the story..

From the director of Freaky Friday and Mean Girls, and the producer of Gulliver’s Travels and the Garfield franchise, MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS will be available on December 6, 2011 on Blu-ray, DVD, digital download and a limited edition MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS gift pack that includes the DVD and TY Beanie Plush Penguin – perfect gift for the holiday! The Blu-ray and DVD also feature a never-before-seen animated short, “Nimrod & Stinky’s Antartic Adventure,” in which Zookeeper Nat Jones flies to the antarctic determined to get Popper's Penguins back. The penguins, led by Nimrod and Stinky, outsmart him once again.

Disclosure:  I received a review copy of this DVD in advance for review.  I did not receive any other monetary compensation and all opinions are my own.

11/30/11: Prima Princessa Presents Sleeping Beauty Review and Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED:  CONGRATULATIONS BARBARA!
There is a wonderful line of DVDs where Prima Princessa (an animated little ballerina fairy) teaches young children about ballet steps and explains a live performance of Ballets featuring the London England's world famous Royal Ballet live at the Royal Opera House.  You may have read my earlier post on "Prima Princess Presents the Nutcracker" and I thought I would now share a newly released DVD Prima Princessa Presents Sleeping Beauty and offer you another chance to win this wonderful DVD that would be a great holiday gift for any little girl on your list.  Lauren's last birthday party was at her Dance School where they did Ballet and of course she takes Ballet so this was great reinforcement of some of the complex names Ballet steps have. 

My little ballerina.

The video was adorable and 60 minutes long.  Lauren and Evan got in to the video.  Evan is now taking Hip Hop so he has a little bit of an interest in dance.  He even tried a plie or two.  At one point Fred our Shetland Sheepdog got in to it as there were dogs playing chase to illustrate chasse.

Lauren practicing with the girls.

She loved the music, and I loved how there was a little narration through the video of what was going on in the Nutcracker which features England's world famous Birmingham Royal Ballet.  Plus periodically it would go to little dance lessons.  The video is only $6.99 and would make a great stocking stuffer.

As one of my lucky readers you can win a copy here! See more details below.

If you don't win you can buy it on Amazon here and at http://www.primaprincess.com/ and in-stores at ToysRus Wegmans, Krogers in Louisiana and Texas, and Albertsons.
After the show there are extras including a tea party and crafts! Prima Princessa Presents Sleeping Beauty is a show your child will want to watch over and over again. Airing on select PBS stations during the spring and summer.  Also on the Prima Princessa Website you can find a ballet dictionary, ballet coloring pages, preschool games, ballet number and alphabet games for kids, ballet tutus, and listings of ballet schools nationwide.  

Here is how to enter to win this DVD:

1 entry for each item:

- Comment here on this post on who you would like to give the Prima Princessa Sleeping Beauty DVD to.  (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you. Also if you have problems, just Preview the comment and it should work. Make sure you see comment posted.

Additional Entries:

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side)

- Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.

- Follow Prima Princessa on Twitter @TutuZone and leave a comment here that you are a follower. 

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this daily): Win a Prima Princessa Sleeping Beauty DVD from @galiberti.  http://bit.ly/uWxVgC #Giveaway @TutuZone

Contest closes Wednesday, December 7th, 2011.  US only.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Disclosure: I received the Prima Princessa Presents Sleeping Beauty DVD in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.

11/20/11: Rock 'N Learn Phonics DVD Review

I don't know about you, but we are always trying to find creative ways to teach Evan how to read.  He can get distracted and want to make everything a game.  I was lucky enough to be able to work with the people at Rock 'N Learn in the past on Sight Words, and now received one of their newer DVDs especially for Phonics.   

  My kids enjoyed watching this video and were sad one night when we started it but didn't have time to finish watching it.  They eagerly asked the next night to watch it.  If they are excited about learning that makes me happy.  Evan particularly can be competitive and in the video they ask you to try and sound out something before them.  Of course he wanted to make sure he would win, so that was great to hear him trying to sound it out quickly.

Here are some details from their website.  

Practicing the phonics skills that lead to reading and spelling success is more fun than ever. We've turbocharged our best-selling Phonics video program with new, enhanced animation along with sentence and story practice. Catchy rhymes make rules easy to remember. Delayed answers and our "on-screen mouth" let students check their reading and pronunciation. Read-along stories and fun songs provide practice with rules and build reading fluency. Context clues help students develop multiple strategies to read for meaning. The DVD is intended for 6 and up but my daughter who is 4 also enjoyed it.  The full DVD is 70 minutes.

Here is a sample video of Phonics DVD 1.

 

 Rock 'N Learn also offers the following websites where you can also download free study materials:

http://www.free-phonics-worksheets.com/

http://www.worksheets-for-math.com/

http://markothepencil.com/

What can you do to give Rock 'N Learn some love?:

Sign up for their E-Newsletter at http://rocknlearn.com/

Check out their blog:  http://www.rocknlearn.com/blog/
Like them on Facebook

Diclosure:  I received the Phonics Volume 1 DVD for the purposes of this review.  All opinions are my own.

9/7/11: Rock 'N Learn Sight Words Giveaway and Review

CONTEST CLOSED - CONGRATULATIONS KIMBERLY!

If you have a pre school aged child or older you have heard of Sight Words.  Until Evan entered Kindergarten I had never heard of the term Sight Words but now I am very familiar with them.  They are words that are used frequently that children should be able to recognize and know by Sight.  I don't know about you, but we are always trying to find creative ways to teach our kids Sight Words.  I personally learn with associations, so when I started with my son I made up flashcards with the sight words and would use pictures to help.  For example the word Up, I put balloons on the back.  We had recently watched the movie Up where the man makes his house float with balloons so Evan quickly identified with this and learned this sight word.  I was lucky enough to be able to work with the people at Rock 'N Learn and receive one of their newer DVDs especially for Sight Words!  How perfect. 

My kids enjoyed watching this video and got up and danced.  I liked how they had a visual with each word which helps kids learn.  They would say the word, show it on the screen and also perform and action to display it.  I loved that!  Plus with the 2 kids they made it a little competition trying to say the words first.  They really responded to it and it was good for both my son who just started 1st grade and my daughter who is in pre school.

Sight Words Covered:

• up • down • come • go • in • out
• of • the • a
• where • is • it • here • there
• one • two • three • red • yellow • blue • little • big
• look • see • find
• run • jump • play • away • and
• you • I • we • can • make • funny • face • get
• to • for • me • my • give • from • came • as • are
• no • not • now • said • help • will
• he • she • his • her • they • that • was • with • on

Bonus Sections:

• Word Shapes
• Pronouncing t-h-e

As one of my readers you are lucky enough to have a chance to win a DVD or CD of your choice, more details below.  Note this is for all ages of children going up to 10+.  You can browse by age here.  Also as one of my lucky readers I would like to offer you a coupon code for 25% off your entire purchase at http://rocknlearn.com/ by using the code JQ7711.

Rock 'N Learn also offers the following websites where you can also download free study materials:

http://www.free-phonics-worksheets.com/

http://www.worksheets-for-math.com/

http://markothepencil.com/

If you would like to preview the Sight Words DVD here is a sample video:

What can you do to give Rock 'N Learn some love?:

Sign up for their E-Newsletter at http://rocknlearn.com/

Check out their blog:  http://www.rocknlearn.com/blog/
Like them on Facebook

Want to win a CD or DVD of your choice? Here is how to enter:

1 entry for each item:

- Comment here on this post as to the product you would like to win from the Rock 'N Learn Website. (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you. Also if you have problems, just Preview the comment and it should work. Make sure you see Comment posted.

Additional Entries:

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side)

- Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this daily): Win a Rock 'N Learn DVD or CD from @galiberti and your kids will have fun learning. http://bit.ly/qyi5PY #Giveaway

Contest closes Wednesday, September 21st, 2011.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org and contacted. They will be mailed their products.

Diclosure:  I received the Sight Words DVD for the purposes of this review.  All opinions are my own.