Friday, March 30, 2012

Pocoyo Supports Earth Day #GIVEAWAY


 WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO TO HELP THE PLANET?  IT’S TIME FOR FUN & GAMES WITH POCOYO IN SUPPORT OF EARTH HOUR 2012 
ON MARCH 31, 2012
Earth Day is tomorrow what are you doing to support Earth Day? 
Here are some ideas:

  1. Make invitations out of recycled paper or send an email invite.
  2. Use organic and locally sustained food.
  3. Serve finger foods to skip using plates and utensils, and use cloth napkins that can be washed and used again. 
  4. Make dishes that don’t require the oven or electricity to prepare.
  5. Be creative with food, ie, licorice ends can be cut off to make edible straws for the kids.
  6. Family craft project – try making the special Keepsake holder out of an old cereal box (see instructions below).
  7. Have a nighttime, outdoor, eco-friendly scavenger hunt by flashlight - hunt for recyclable items like milk cartons, egg cartons, etc.  Once the items are found, explain how they are used for recycling and to save our environment.
  8. Have a recycled book exchange for the kids and adults, instead of favors.
  9. Have fun and remember to have enough candles and flashlights for everyone to see! 
As part of the new 2012 Earth Hour campaign, Zinkia Entertainment introduced POCOYO’s Recycling Game, available through www.pocoyo.com, Earth Hour’s website (www.earthhour.org) and the Official POCOYO Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pocoyo).  POCOYO pledged to plant one tree, up to 10,000 trees, for everyone who played the new POCOYO Recycling Game.  The goal was reached in record time so Zinkia’s Chairman pledged to plant more trees, up to 10,000, for each person who played the recycle game. And, that goal was reached too in just a few days! The game has been so popular that Pocoyo has brought his challenge to entirely new level! NOW, if 100,000 people play Pocoyo's Recycle Game, Pocoyo will plant a total of 50,000 trees! The trees will be planted by Trees for the Future, Zinkia’s charity partner whose mission for 2012 is to plant 17 million trees!  You can also plant trees (.10 cents/tree) for Earth Hour by visiting http://www.plant-trees.org

See the Original Titanic Movie April 3rd!


COMMEMORATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF
THE R.M.S TITANIC DISASTER WHEN
THE ACADEMY AWARD® WINNING CLASSIC FILM
COMES TO BLU-RAY
 
 Marking the 100th Anniversary of the Infamous Maiden Voyage,
The Iconic Film Comes to Blu-ray for the First Time April 3

Coinciding with the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the famous passenger liner, TITANIC, the 1953 Academy Award® Winner for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay, bursts onto Blu-ray for the first time April 3rd from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  The influential film features a stellar cast including Golden Globe® winner and Academy Award® nominee Clifton Webb (Stars and Stripes Forever), Academy Award® and Emmy® winner Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity) and Audrey Dalton (Separate Tables).  Showcasing a fully re-mastered version of the film, as well as incredible special features including commentary from the cast and crew, TITANIC on Blu-ray is a must-have for any classic film enthusiast and history buff.
Determined to leave the superficial, high-society world in which her husband Richard (Clifton Webb) is engrossed, Julia Sturges (Barbara Stanwyck) boards the R.M.S. Titanic in England to travel to America, along with her two children. Hoping to reconcile with his family, Richard purchases a steerage ticket aboard the ship, unaware of the fateful events that loom ahead.
Prebook is March 7th.
TITANIC Blu-ray Special Features:
  • Commentary by Film Critic Richard Schickel
  • Commentary by Cinematographer Michael D. Lonzo, Actors Audrey Dalton and Robert Wagner, and Historian Sylvia Stoddard
  • MovieTone News
  • “Titanic” Premiere Thrills South
  • CinemaScope and “The Robe” Win Oscars
  • Titanic Aftermath: Audio Essay by Silvia Stoddard
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Still Gallery
About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.
# # #
 Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt
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I Hate You Kelly Donahue by Mark Svartz


I Hate You, Kelly Donahue
DO NOT OPEN! Nothing to See Here, Just Boring Stuff and Empty Pages
By Mark Svartz
Published by Adams Media
Paperback: 112 pages
January 15, 2012; $13.95 US/$14.50 CAN; 978-1-4405-2754-8

Description
As a little kid, a boy would pinch the girl he liked. As a grown-up, Mark Svartz plans her ultimate demise through a number of twisted murder plots that involve lead pipes, escape routes, and David Hasselhoff. Some guys never grow up.
This book chronicles the eight months, sixteen days, and some-odd hours since Mark first laid eyes on the despicable, wretched wench he's destined to fight to the death. Every note, thought, IM, email, Post-It, and craigslist ad looking for a crime-scene clean-up is meticulously catalogued in Mark's journal.
Is it a diary of a mad man? Or a man madly in love? Who cares? It's seriously messed up. And seriously funny.
 
The 411 by Maria

Well, first...I love the whole look of the book. Written in handwritten diary form complete with little drawings and attached emails and photos. So very cute for a book written about how much someone despises another.  Basically Mark spends most of the book laying out his plan to "KILL" Kelly (can someone please check on Kelly?). One of his plots includes the soundtrack of David Hasselhoff blasting in the background and an uneaten plate of German bratwurst and sauerkraut.  Enjoyable book!


Author Bio
Mark Svartz,
is an author, artist, and award-winning advertising creative. Like most kids who were born and raised in Brooklyn, his lifelong dream was to write a book called I Hate You, Kelly Donahue. Amazingly, he is the only one who succeeded. The others are all failures.
This is Mark's first book and to make sure that people find it online, he will now mention random popular terms that will show up in searches: Lady Gaga; Obama; porn; Justin Bieber; Twitter; nude celebs; Oprah; kittens; boobs.

Mark currently lives in New York City and he thinks you are all awesome.

For more information please visit http://marksvartz.com, or http://ihateyoukellydonahue.com and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter







Thursday, March 29, 2012

The Taker by Alma Katsu #Giveaway





Overview

True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price.
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural St. Andrew, Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting a quiet evening. Until a mysterious woman arrives in his ER, escorted by police—Lanore McIlvrae is a murder suspect—and Luke is inexplicably drawn to her. As Lanny tells him her story, an impassioned account of love and betrayal that transcends time and mortality, she changes his life forever. . . . At the turn of the nineteenth century, when St. Andrew was a Puritan settlement, Lanny was consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, and she will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for eternity.
The Taker by Alma Katsu

Blok Squad Construction Unit

Recently we were sent the Mega Block Blok Squad Construction Unit for review. I am happy to report that that whole house loves it, fom Teach on down! We are all playing with it.

All missions are possible when you team up with the three Construction vehicles of the Blok Squad Construction Site! Build the Construction Vehicle 4x4 - a worker’s truck with optional trailer designed to haul more than a truck alone.

Features: Buildable Construction Site team of Construction 4x4 Truck, Track Loader and Road Roller with 395 pieces Includes 3 Blok Squad Construction Workers Collect them all and combine Blok Squad vehicles to build heavy-duty machines to complete any Construction

The 411 by Maria and family:

The house has been on lock down for various illness over the past month but here is our review:
There are so many pieces you think you won't be able to build the units featured on the box but surprisingly you will. Each piece comes with complete instructions from the ground up including which pieces and how many. At first, I was ready to hand it off to Teach for follow through but with him being so busy lately (new job) I tried it myself. Well, Goddess and I started it. Low and behold, we had rolling units in no time.

What we like about this set most is the amount of pieces and how easy it is to recreate the pieces or create a few of your own designs.  There is something about blocks that make people work together. We have the pieces in a container and whenever someone starts making something, someone else sits down to work with on their own. Before you know it, socialization and isn't that what most families wish they had more of. Any toys that are going to engage my family in conversation are good!

Ideal for children ages 5 and up!



Amazon has it for a great price. So many pieces and only $16.72. 

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Playing Around With Videos & Pinnacle

This is some video from this past Thanksgiving of the kids and their cousins.
Made it using Pinnacle Studio



 Love Pinnacle Studio. Teach got if for me this past Christmas
and while it is incredible, I have touched the tip of it's capabilities. Can't wait until I am as good as some of these kids I see on You Tube.
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Little Angels Easter Cards Available - Email me!



About Little Angels:
Discover the joy of learning and friendship with this season’s most heavenly new collection! From executive producer Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”) comes the first three volumes of a fresh, fun and inspiring educational series that children and their parents (and grandparents too) can enjoy together in LITTLE ANGELS ABC’s, LITTLE ANGELS ANIMALS, and LITTLE ANGELS 1,2,3’s, now available on DVD with Digital Copy from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Roma Downey stated, "For many years I had the privilege of playing an angel on television, bringing a message of God's love to millions of Americans.  As a mother, I have longed to be part of a project that would help to bring that same message to children by not only teaching them the foundations of education - but also providing strong examples of good behavior.  Little Angels does just that.  It offers critical learning skills through the lens of timeless and age appropriate Bible stories. I only wish this series had been available when my kids were younger!"

LITTLE ANGELS is an animated DVD series and has been created for pre-school aged children to teach practical learning skills like ABCs and numbers. The series is presented in a captivating and entertaining format that will help parents to teach their little angels a big love of learning while also providing hours of fun to enjoy together with exciting DVD extras.

Pre-school twins Alex and Zoe are blessed to have eight Little Angels watching over them – literally! These Little Angels live on the ceiling of their bedroom, painted there so they are the first things the kids see when they wake up in the morning and the last thing they see before they fall asleep at night. The angels come to life when the children need them most, helping guide them through the challenges of their young lives.

 Featuring a great deal of interactive DVD extras including charming music videos and downloadable activity sheets, plus a downloadable bonus digital copy of each lesson that will allow for learning on the go, the LITTLE ANGELS ABC’s, LITTLE ANGELS ANIMALS, and LITTLE ANGELS 1, 2, 3’s DVDs are a great value moms can feel good about sharing with their little angels.

Do You Love Peanut Butter? This Contest is For You!


 “Peanut Butter Doug’s Peanut Butter Challenge” will call on consumers to enter a photo, video, recipe, or written entry that proves how much they love peanut butter. The top 16 submissions, as voted on by the fans, will win a case of Planters peanut butter. The grand prize winner will receive two lifetime supplies of Planters peanut butter

KEY DATES
·         Submissions: 3/28- 4/18
·         Voting for Top 16 Finalists: 4/25-5/2
·         Voting for Winner: 5/3-5/28
·         Winners Notified: 5/29

ENTER HERE 

SodaHead Family Entertainment Poll Results


Chick-fil-A Meal Giveaway

I don't have a Chick-fil-A near me but if you do, they have a new Nutritious Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meals to help fuel active family fun! Spring is here and what better way to promote an active lifestyle, and enjoy the great outdoors than with some old school games for your family to enjoy. So take a spin on the Old School Wheel and play some family friendly games that get you all moving and laughing.

EASTER "EGGSTRAVAGANZA" WITH DINOSAUR TRAIN



Buddy and his Pteranodon family set off for new adventures as they encounter baby hatchlings and dinosaur eggs of all shapes and sizes in DINOSAUR TRAIN: EGGSTRAVAGANZA!  They’ll learn that all dinosaur families are different, and so are the ways of nurturing them.  And who knows, they might just solve a mystery or two while they’re at it. The DINOSAUR TRAIN: EGGSTRAVAGANZA DVD includes eight exciting edutainment adventures and is packed with loads of special features including interactive games, coloring pages, and a Dinosaur Reference Guide, information for parents and more.

Easter Craft Idea: 
Download this FREE adorable Egg Holder Template!
 
About Dinosaur Train:

The PBS KIDS® EMMY®-nominated animated children’s series DINOSAUR TRAIN® is an educational and inspiring preschool series that has been a prominent source of fostering early childhood development while entertaining millions of 3–6 year-olds since it premiered in 2009. The series’ mission is to introduce kids to paleontology and the natural sciences.

DINOSAUR TRAIN is a Parents’ Choice Recommended TV series, and is one of the top ten shows for kids ages 2 to 5. Young viewers join Buddy and his adoptive family of Pteranodons on whimsical adventures through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans as they unearth basic concepts in natural science, natural history and paleontology. The DinosaurTrain is a colorful locomotive, customized to accommodate all kinds of dinosaurs, and it has the ability to visit the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous worlds, while the Train’s conductor, a knowledgeable Troodon, provides passengers with fascinating facts along the way.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Walmart Is Your One Stop Shop for Chipmunks Stuff!!




TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX LAUNCHES ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED APPAREL EXCLUSIVELY AT WALMART

Fox Consumer Products Launches Exclusive Apparel Line in Conjunction with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Bagdasarian Productions Coinciding with the Home Entertainment Launch of the Blockbuster Movie Franchise

Los Angeles, CA (March 27, 2012) –ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS™ is one of the most successful franchise properties in the world,  generating more than $1 billion at the box office and selling over 35 million DVD and Blu-ray™ units  worldwide To coincide with the Blu-ray™ and DVD release of Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked in Walmart stores beginning on Tuesday, March 27, Fox Consumer Products and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, in conjunction with Bagdasarian Productions, will launch an exclusive multi-category program. Fox Consumer Products will debut an exclusive spring boy’s and girl’s apparel line featured at Walmart stores nationwide.   

Fox Consumer Products’ all-new Alvin and the Chipmunks™ spring children’s apparel line is part of an exclusive boys and girls collection. The spring collection consists of apparel from leading licensees, including: Bioworld (Boy’s T-Shirts), Awake, Inc. (Girl’s T-Shirts), SG Intimates (Boy’s and Girl’s Pajamas), Isaac Morris (Boy’s Swimwear and Girl’s T-Shirts), H.I.S International (Girl’s Sportswear and Swimwear) and Berkshire Fashions (Boy’s Hosiery and Headwear). 

Beginning on Tuesday, 3000 Walmart stores nationwide will receive a cross merchandise display featuring Blu-ray™ and DVDs of the latest movie in the franchise, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, as well as boys and girls t-shirts.  Ten high-profile Walmart locations will receive an oversized dynamic wave display containing a special backdrop allowing families to take photos they can send virally to their friends and loved ones. Visit one of the following locations for this experience: Chino, CA, Pico Rivera, CA, Honolulu, HI, Ammon, ID, Springville, UT, Vernal, UT, Killeen, TX, Rogers, AR, Fort Walton Beach, FL and Clinton, MD.  

The campaign will be supported online with a special boutique page – www.walmart.com/Alvin - and on the brand’s current Facebook page, which boasts more than 2.5 million “likes.” 

Jeffrey Godsick, President of Fox Consumer Products said, “An exclusive apparel line at Walmart is a true testament to the popularity and success of the blockbuster franchise.  This all-new spring line is reflective of the franchise’s continued momentum. Consumers can now find Alvin and the Chipmunks™ product on shelves year-round.”

All licensing agreements and future product introductions are made possible through collaboration between Fox Consumer Products and Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. – son of the Alvin and the Chipmunks™ creator – and his wife and partner, Janice Karman, who are the creative team behind The Chipmunks.

About Bagdasarian Productions
A leading producer of high quality, family-oriented programming, Bagdasarian Productions, helmed by Ross Bagdasarian and Janice Karman, is best known for its creation and oversight of Alvin and The Chipmunks, The Chipettes, and other related characters. Originally created in 1958, The Chipmunks are presently one of the biggest family franchises with a multi-generational, international following. 

About Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products
A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third-party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

Alvin and The Chipmunks Motion Picture © 2012 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc.

Alvin and The Chipmunks, The Chipettes and Characters TM & © 2012 Bagdasarian Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.



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Alvin & The Chipmunks Chipwrecked: A GIVEAWAY & Our Review Is Here

The Chipmunks, Chipettes and their caretaker Dave Seville (Jason Lee; “My Name is Earl”) embark on a trip of a lifetime aboard the Carnival Dream cruise ship. Seeking fun and excitement, the Chipmunks turn the luxury cruise liner into their own personal playground. But the ultimate vacation quickly becomes a disaster when the Chipmunks, Dave and Carnival cruise pelican mascot, who turns out to be the chipmunks’ old manager, Ian Hawke (David Cross; Megamind), accidentally fall overboard and find themselves ‘chipwrecked’ on a remote island. Stuck in an unfamiliar territory, the six furry castaways are separated from Dave and must figure out a way to survive on their own for the first time in their lives.

Written and produced by husband and wife duo Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman, ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED features a star-studded voice cast with Justin Long (Dodgeball) as Alvin, Matthew Gray Gubler (“Criminal Minds”) as Simon, Jesse McCartney (Horton Hears a Who!) as Theodore, Christina Applegate (“Up All Night”) as Brittany, Anna Faris (What’s Your Number?) as Jeanette, and Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”) as Eleanor.

The 411 by Maria, Handsome and Goddess:

We were able to watch this on Wednesday which happened to be a day off due to teacher conferences or some jazz. We loved the last chipmunk movie so we had high expectations for this one.  Personally, I wasn't sure that they would be able to carry on the franchise in a way that was interesting and fresh man was I wrong. We sang through the whole movie. It is a really cute story. Goddess was in love with all the music. She has a favorite chipmunk and stated so through the whole movie. Handsome liked anytime Dave and Ian were on screen. He thinks the Chipmunks former manger is hysterical especially in the pelican suit.

In Chipwrecked, Dave takes the Chipmunks and the Chippettes on a cruise. Alvin of course ends up getting them all grounded while Dave heads to dinner to talk with the captain. Poor little Theodore ends up watching TV that is way too scary for him. My kids thought it was so cute how he couldn't just change the channel and sat there mesmerized at the creepy images before his eyes. They do the same if they wake in the middle of the night to see us watching something on Sci-Fi.

When everyone ends up overboard the chipmunks must work together to survive on an island, and yes, they do sing "I'm a survivor". The songs are some of the best parts of the movie!

If you have chipmunk fans in the house, you can't go wrong with this family friendly movie. Yes, I have seen some reviews were people talk about the "suggestive" dance moves of the Chippettes but I was watching the same stuff on the Bugs Bunny Show and Tom and Jerry too. Nothing different! I didn't see it as sexy than, and I don't see it as sexy now. Just a good family friendly movie!


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#WIN i Know Animals, Letters & Sounds DVD Vol 1Giveaway



Once upon a time, long ago, when the animals inhabited the Earth, many animal groups lived together as one big family known as The Sunmoona Pride. In this interactive adventure series, children are taken on a fun-filled journey around the world to learn about the animal kingdom through engaging sing-a-longs, stunning 3D animation and a captivating storyline.

iKnow Letters, Animals & Sounds is an imaginative TV series that captivates the hearts and minds of young children like no other television program. The animals in The Pride make learning the alphabet, basic reading skills and elementary science concepts come to life! In volume 1, children will discover the secret letters L, M, S, Z, G, B and F, the sounds they make and animals that start with these letters while at the same time learning about the environment.

Genre: Children Run Time: 3 hr 1 min Starring: Lion, Monkey, Sea Lion Co-Starring: Zebra, Gorilla, Bee Language: English Rating: TV-Y Number of Discs: 1

Monday, March 26, 2012

Dare to Live!

365 Day Challenge - Playing Catch Up - Day 60 - 64

March 1, 2012 - The school has an anti-bullying program in full effect. The band reads Don't be cruel to be cool! I wear it daily.




March 2, 2012 - There is just something about that little red guy sitting among all that brown and grey. Not a great photo but I love it anyway.




March 3, 2012 - My Handsome is getting so big, coming up to my eyeballs with the top of his head. I am mostly aware where I step in to help him step out of the tub. He so doesn't need me anymore but I have a slipping fear with the kids in the tub and ask them to call when they are done. Mostly it is to help them out and warm them up with a big towel. Than I ushered them to their room and leave. Here he is enjoying some much needed outdoor time.




March 4, 2012 - Goddess loves wearing her Backyard Safari gear. She received the bird caller set for Christmas and couldn't wait to use it. Not sure if she got any birds but I was on alert with my camera.

Small business growth

Guest post of the week by Brittany Booker

I guess we have had t1.xo at our Dulles office for six months now. We opened our office up in that area so we could serve our clients around the area. Really I guess we have customers almost from Winchester to Oakton now, which is big considering we started out with two customers and a few leads. It has been pretty important for us to have an affordable Internet service provider. The affordable part is big when you are making nearly nothing in the first year of business! We have a good few people who need the connectivity and the ability to make calls. We expect that number to grow too. That is the fun thing about small businesses. The needs are always growing. There is always a little bit of time where you worry about what profits will be and if you will make it to the next month or year, but beyond that point, it is growth. I really love that aspect of being a small business. Maybe we will never be the biggest dogs out there, but we are definitely growing and I know having good services like Internet and phone are the enablers of our success at the end of the day.

Around Kids? Get the Kid Dictionary!



The Kid Dictionary
Hilarious Words to Describe the Indescribable Things Kids Do
By Eric Ruhalter
March 2012; Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 9781402264658
$9.99; 224 pages; Parenting/Humor




 
Have a kid? Know a kid? Been a kid? Have you ever been left utterly speechless by the wit, wisdom, grossness, and hilarity that accompanies children wherever they go? The Kid Dictionary has the ingenious and hilarious words you need to describe the indescribable: life with kids.

Humorous, insightful, and unique, it’s perfect for anyone with kids even remotely in their life--from expectant parents to aunts and uncles. With clever word play and insights that will make you wince in sympathy or laugh out loud and think, “thank goodness that’s not me! (yet),” The Kid Dictionary provides adults everywhere with the vernacular to discuss the little harridans, er, angels we love:


The 411:

When I first brought Handsome home from the hospital. My first thought was they are sending us home with a baby? Are they crazy! Teach and I looked at each other and said, "now what do we do?"  You hear people say all the time, they wish the baby came with a manual. Well people, as the babies turn into kids we realize the baby part was THE easy part. Umm...humor is what gets me through as a mom. Kids are naturally funny and this book is perfect for anyone who spends any amount of time with kids.  Did you know that a Hairricane is a girls knotty, messy hair and the ensuing tantrums that erupt when her mother tries to comb them out?? Now you do!

Adorable pocket size book with whimsical, nonsensical words that actually might make complete sense to you when you read them! I'm a parent and I knew about 85% of them although I didn't know there were actual words for them. Made up a couple of my own along the way too! Had no idea that Goddess was a Stocktease, A child who lets you buy large quantities of her favorite food then suddenly doesn't like it anymore.

Great gift idea or just for a fun read!

About The Author
Eric Ruhalter works in television in NYC, making commercials about movies. At night, he comes home to his wife Kara and their three rambunctious children. There, he’s able to step inside of himself to write down the unique and unusual observations that inspire him. He also enjoys editing video, pimping his work via social media, surfing, Frisbee, and ping pong. He studied economics at Dickinson College where he learned that he’s not the least bit interested in the theories of economics. So rather than study, he spent most of his time writing.

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LIKE RETRO CARTOONS? #WIN 10 Episodes of The Best of Jayce and The Wheeled Warriors



Thundering across the stars to save the universe from the Monster Minds, Jayce searches for his father to unite the Magic Root and lead his Lightning League to victory over the changing form of Saw Boss. Wheeled Warriors explode into battle…Lightning Strikes! Based on the popular line of Mattel toys, and scripted by acclaimed writers such as J. Michael Straczynski (creator of Babylon 5), these Top 10 episodes make their way to DVD, taking nostalgic action to a whole new level!

CONTENTS:
1. Escape from the Garden
2. The Vase of Xiang
3. Steel Against Shadow
4. The Silver Crusaders
5. Ghostship
6. Flora, Flora and the Monster Minds
7. Fire and Ice
8. Space Outlaws
9. Future of the Future
10. Underwater

Bonus episode - C.O.P.S.: THE CASE OF THE BIG LITTLE GREEN MEN

Genre: Children Run Time: 3 hr 40 min Starring: Jayce, Flora, Gillian Co-Starring: Herc, Oon, Sawboss Language: English Rating: TV-Y7 Number of Discs: 1

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Hunger Games Is Box Office Gold!

Not surprised in the least of the record numbers Hunger Games is showing. With over 63 Million on opening day, it has so far taken in a record high of $155 million.

While I have yet to read the Hunger Games, I know so many who have. At least 10 of my female friends are reading the books now because they are dying to see the movie but don't want to without reading the book. Not sure if I understand this mentality but to each his own. While I am dying to read the book and see the movie getting to the book in the next few is probably not going to happen. It is on my Need to Read list but will have to wait. Hoping that I get to the movie even if it is before I read it!

The ratings for the movie are incredible and if these numbers prove anything, it is that writers need to up their game when writing their books. 

The Hunger Games posted the fifth-best opening day EVER!



Have you read it yet? Do you plan on seeing it?

Kindle Readers can head over to Amazon and if you are a Prime Member it is FREE otherwise, it is only $5.00!
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The Love Filled Bridge



Goddess loves being outside. She will go out everyday and stay out for hours always finding something to keep herself busy. She explores our backyard and is a great finder of long forgotten items or items that we didn't even know were lost. She took her chalk and decorated our bridge the other day. I loved how she looked while doing it and the straight shadows all around her from the sun streaming through the naked trees.

Admiring her own work!


The Woodcarver on DVD is a Family Friendly Movie!



Description:
Restoring their faith in God and in Life.
Matthew Stevenson is a troubled kid from a broken home. When he vandalizes the local church to get back at his parents, Matthew has to repair the damage to the church to avoid criminal charges. While working at the church, he meets Ernest (John Ratzenberger), an accomplished wood carver who created the intricate woodwork decoration that Matthew destroyed. Ernest has become something of a hermit, but reluctantly comes out of reclusion to help repair the church. Now Ernest and Matthew must work together to preserve the church's beautiful antiquity, and along the way, they also manage to restore their faith in God and in life.

The 411 by Maria:
As someone who is more spiritual than religious I look for movies that are about people and life rather than preachy. A story where the message comes through without overdoing the religious bible thumping, brow beating, believe in God and all will be saved. That may get some negativity from those preach the bible and live their lives for the Lord. Mostly, I like to know that the story could stand on its own without bible references and this story can!

Matthew,  like most kids is a very good boy, he has issues like everyone else and is living between two parents who are going through a volatile separation.  After taking out his aggression on a church, smashing windows and writing liar on the side, he is caught a forced to repair the damage he has done.

As a parent or a caring adult, this would have been a big wake up call that things have to change but no, they yell at him and eventually he runs away. He eventually meets Ernest played by John Ratzenberger from Cheers fame who does in incredible job of playing a God fearing widow who recently lost his wife. His moments of remembrance brought tears to my eyes. 

Ernest and Matthew are exactly what the other needs. Matthew needs attention and someone to steer him on the path of his greatest potential and Ernest needs something to focus his attention on.

This is a wonderful movie that may slip off the radars of those who may think it is a "religious" movie. It is that, but it is mostly a movie about people, friends, family and that what we give is what we get.



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Disclosure: I received a complimentary DVD for the purpose of this review from Vivendi Entertainment.

LIKE RETRO CARTOONS? #WIN 10 Episodes of Cops Volume 2


The concept is simple: collect the very best officers that the country had to offer and begin a campaign to eradicate organized crime. The members of C.O.P.S. are all extraordinary crime fighters -- each one a master of a special skill, each one dedicated to the cause of justice. Though the concept may be simple, the job isn't easy: The Big Boss and his gang are the roughest and most persistent bunch of criminals to challenge law and order in Empire City.

The year: 2020. The place: Empire City. The situation: Brandon “Big Boss” Babel, along with his gang of crooks, is holding the entire city under the palm of his iron hand and the Empire City Police Department can do nothing to stop him. As a last resort, Mayor Davis sends in CyberCOP Baldwin P. Vess (Codename: Bulletproof) to take him down. This DVD collection features 10 thrilling episodes from the TV series based on the popular toy line from Hasbro® C.O.P.S 'N' C.R.O.O.K.S.

Genre: Children Run Time: 4 hr 4 min Starring: Bulletproof, Long Arm, Big Boss Co-Starring: Berserko, Hardtop, Mainframe Language: English Rating: TV-Y7 Number of Discs: 1

Saturday, March 24, 2012

#WIN i Know Animals, Letters & Sounds DVD Giveaway



Once upon a time, long ago, when the animals inhabited the Earth, many animal groups lived together as one big family known as The Sunmoona Pride.  In this interactive adventure series, children are taken on a fun-filled journey around the world to learn about the animal kingdom through engaging sing-a-longs, stunning 3D animation and a captivating storyline.

iKnow Letters, Animals & Sounds is an imaginative TV series that captivates the hearts and minds of young children like no other television program. The animals in The Pride make learning the alphabet, basic reading skills and elementary science concepts come to life! Children will discover the secret letters W, C, E, P, J and O, the sounds they make, animals that start with these letters and about the environment the animals live in.

Genre: Children Run Time: 2 hr 35 min Starring: Wildebeest, Camel, Elephant Co-Starring: Panda, Jaguar, Otter Language: English Rating: TV-Y Number of Discs: 1

Friday, March 23, 2012

We're Moving On Up....

Hooray!!!!!

I did it! I took the plunge and finally became a


www.reesspace.blogspot.com is NOW: www.mariasspace.com and you don't have to do a thing! Love Google and Blogspot! Thanks for working together guys to make everything soooo easy for us bloggers and keeping the cost down. You guys rock!!!!

The Sitter on DVD & Blu-ray & Digital Copy


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Adventures in Babysitting meets "Superbad" in this raunchy comedy starring Jonah Hill as Noah, a suspended college student who becomes the unlikely--and unqualified--sitter to his neighbor's children (Max Records, Landry Bender, Kevin Hernandez). But his girlfriend's (Ari Gaynor) promise of sex in exchange for cocaine forces Noah to bring the kids along on a wild trek across the city, pursued by a psychotic drug dealer (Sam Rockwell). With J.B. Smoove, Method Man. R-rated version; 81 min./Unrated version; 87 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, DVS Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish; featurettes; gag reel.


Great Giveaways In The Blogging World

Enter to win The Gruffalo Prize Pack at 2Boys + 1 Girl = One Crazy Mom

Tired of YA Tame Vampire Novels?

No?! Well me neither but how about something a little more grown up just to spice things up?

With the third book in her Vampire Vacation Inn series, author C.J. Ellisson confirms her status as a leader in the field of paranormal romance/contemporary fantasy. The engaging and witty combination of Vivian, a 580-year-old vampire, and her gorgeous human husband Rafe, gives readers all the romance they can handle along with the snarky, fast-paced interplay of married life on the wild side. Vampire Vacation, The Hunt and Big Game (Red Hot Publishing) offer full satisfaction in more ways than one.
C.J. Ellisson is a relatively new writer, and she's on a mission. “I’ve read the genre for years, and the most annoying recurring trait throughout the bestsellers is the main characters' lack of relationship stability and constant bed-hopping.

“That may be fine when you’re young and twenty-two,” Ellisson continues, “but when you’re a mature reader it gets annoying that your favorite genre completely overlooks the difficulty and challenges of keeping a relationship strong and sexually healthy as the years go on. Which in my mind is a heck of a lot harder than falling into lust with the latest hot guy.

“Why can’t the heroine save the world, solve the crime, and journey to unknown lands with a strong man by her side supporting her?

“That’s what I wanted to read, so I wrote it.”

 
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The main character Vivian owns a resort for the undead; her supernatural ability to project physical illusions has created the perfect vacation spot—a dark, isolated Alaskan hideaway where visitors can have their wildest fantasies come true. Her capacity for drama, manipulation and control are put to the test in the first three volumes of the series. In Vampire Vacation, she discovers a corpse in a locked guestroom minutes before the next arrivals. Always cool-headed, Rafe hides the body, convinced he and Vivian can find the culprit without disturbing their guests. But juggling the demands of their customers while tracking a killer isn't easy.


 
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The second in the series, The Hunt, opens with seven vampires and seven werewolves preparing to hunt a supernatural criminal across the cold, vast grounds of the resort. Things quickly begin to spiral out of control as the prey exhibits a cunning, and deadly, instinct for survival. Third in the series, Big Game promises two fast-paced adventures, one involving the shooting of a werewolf at the Alaskan resort and another as we follow our loving couple through the challenges of tracking exactly who suspects Vivian’s most well-guarded secret.

Since February 2009, when C.J. Ellisson first tried her hand at writing, she has written and published two full-length contemporary fantasy novels in her award-winning, bestselling V V Inn series, as well as two erotica novellas. She has also started a small press, Red Hot Publishing, which now publishes fifteen authors, founded an adult content blog, Everything Erotic, which has over seven hundred paid subscribers on Kindle and over two thousand followers on Facebook, and founded Red Hot Readers on Facebook to match small authors up with interested readers. It now has almost three thousand members.

Warning: This book series contains very explicit sex scenes,
 intended for mature readers over 18 only.


Please visit: http://www.cjellisson.com

Or her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/c.j.ellissonfanpage


Review coming soon!!!

TINKER TINKER Soldier, Spy! Is Out On DVD, Blu-ray & On-Demand


AVAILABLE MARCH 20, 2012 ON
BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK WITH UltraViolet™, ON DVD AND ON-DEMAND
FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT


TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY: Also Known As…

Things aren’t always as they seem in the Oscar®-nominated, suspenseful, and stylish thriller from director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In), based on the classic novel by John le Carré. At the height of the Cold War, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), a.k.a. MI6 and code-named the Circus, has been compromised. An ever-watchful former top lieutenant and career spy, George Smiley (Gary Oldman, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ), is called out of retirement by the government to help identify and track a suspected mole at the top of the agency. The list of suspects is narrowed to five men. Even before the startling truth is revealed, the emotional and physical tolls on the players enmeshed in the deadly international spy game will escalate…

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Only $19.999 for Blu-ray, Plus DVD & Digital Copy



Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy author may be known to his readers as his pen name John le Carre but he was born as David  John Moore Cornwell.  During the 1950s and 60s, he worked for the British Intellgience and thus began writing under the pseudonym “John le Carre.” In celebration of Tinker Tailor Soilder Spy’s DVD, Blu-ray and On-Demand release, we will look at other famous authors who have been known solely by their pen names, including Mark Twain, Lemony Snicket and Dr. Seuss.

MARK TWAIN


Born on November 30, 1835, Samuel Langhorne is best known for writing American classics such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn under the pen name of Mark Twain. Twain used different pen names before he settled on “Mark Twain.”  The name derives from his history of working on Mississippi riverboats and the expression “by the mark twain” which means the water is 12 feet deep and it is safe for riverboats to pass.

LEMONY SNICKET



Lemony Snicket is an American novelist best known for writing and appearing as a character in A Series of Unfortunate Events.  Born as Daniel Handler, Handler invented the name “Lemony Snicket” after researching for this first book The Basic Eight.  Handler wanted to receive material from organizations that he found “offensive or funny” but didn’t want to attach his real name to.  The name’s similarity to Jiminy Cricket is no coincidence as Handler saw him  “overly moralistic cheerful narrator who he despised.”  When writing A Series of Unfortunate Events, Handler, along with his editor, thought the books should be published under that character’s name, instead of his.

DR. SEUSS

 Theodor Seuss Geisel, or better known as Dr. Seuss, was an American writer, poet and cartoonist who wrote numerous children’s books.  During his lifetime, he published 46 children’s books, which often include imaginative characters and frequently used trisyllabic meter.  Though he often used Dr. Seuss as his pseudonym, he also used Theo LeSieg for books that he wrote but was illustrated by others.  In one instance, he used the pen name of Rosetta Stone.


AYN RAND


 Ayn Rand was born as Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum on February 2, 1905.  A Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright and screenwriter, she is best known for her two novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.  She also developed her own philosophical system, which she called Objectivism and after Atlas Shrugged, she turned to nonfiction writing by publishing her own magazines and essays that promoted her philosophy.  Rand was an advocate of reason as the only means of acquiring knowledge and rejected all forms for faith and religion.

GEORGE ORWELL



 Eric Arthur Blair was best known under his pen name George Orwell.  A 20th century English novelist and journalist, Orwell’s better known for two of his dystopian novels – Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm.  Blair derived his pen name for his love of the River Orwell, which flows through Suffolk County in England.