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Check out this awesome new video clip from the awesome movie MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
Monsters University – It All Began Here
“Like” MONSTERS UNIVERSITY on Facebook: http://facebook.com/PixarMonstersUniversity
“Follow” Disney/Pixar on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DisneyPixar
Visit the website: http://www.Disney.com/MonstersU
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY releases in theaters on June 21st!
Not sure what style sunglasses are the best for you? Check out this free information that will not only help you pick the right sunglasses for your face but also give you great information on protecting your family’s eyes, too.
My daughters and I had the unique opportunity to create our own plates with a MakIt Personalize Art Plate Kit. Each kit comes with a set of markers to use on the templates and 25 blank templates- plenty to come up with multiple designs, get lots of practice, etc. Once the templates are completed simply return them to MakIt with the special prepaid certificate and MakIt turns your template(s) into beautiful 10 inch, break-resistant, durable melamine plates. The plates are nontoxic, BPA-free, and dishwasher safe. Do not put them in the microwave and do not use a rough sponge on them and you’ll be able to enjoy them for years to come.
My daughters loved each making a special plate for me for Mother’s Day but the plates would also make great Father’s Day gifts. After they finished with their drawings for my Mother’s Day plates they each said they wanted to have a special plate of their own. My older daughter drew her own designs on her plate and she asked my younger daughter if she could make a special plate for her, too. What a nice sisterly offer! So that’s what she did. She designed a special plate just for her little sister to enjoy.
It was exciting when a few weeks later we received the package with the plates. My girls were not only excited to see their finished products that were created from their design templates but my younger daughter was excited to see what her sister had created for her. These plates make such a fun and personal gift.
Each MakIt plate kit is normally $17.99 which includes shipping on the finished product but from now until Jun 31st you can get these great plates for $12.99 by clicking here. You can also purchase additional plates at a reduced price (see below).
The surprises didn’t stop with my daughter’s surprise plate. I got in on the action, too. I designed a special “Happy Birthday” plate that we will be using to celebrate each family member’s birthday. When it is someone’s birthday in our family they will get to choose their favorite meal and I will serve it to them on this special “Happy Birthday” plate. I had started this idea several years ago with a plate that I had painted at one of those paint your own pottery places but it broke after only one use. 🙁 I was excited when I realized that I could start this tradition again with a MakIt plate that is break-resistant. I can’t wait until the next birthday to start the tradition again. What traditions do you have in your family?
Highlight your family’s favorite Park activities and attractions and then have them delivered to your door!
Introducing Scanimalz, the cute, cuddly plush characters with QR codes on their adorable soft bellies. Scanimalz from Wicked Cool Toys roll plush toys and technology all into one. There are 30 adorable plush Scanimalz characters to collect and choose from. We received a purple beta bear and a black and white penguin. First download the Scanimalz app to your iPad or smartphone. Then when prompted scan the one time activation QR code that comes on the bottom of your Scanimalz plush. Now you are ready to play! Make sure to keep your Scanimalz with you when you play on the app because you can earn bonus points for scanning it’s belly QR code in between games.
Every day when you come back and scan your Scanimalz’s belly QR code you will earn more points (called scantz). The more scantz you earn the higher you will get on the Daily Leader Board. Keep an eye out for hidden trophies to get more scantz, too. Redeem your scantz for virtual accessories and power-ups. Scanimalz keeps children coming back with optional daily push notifications reminding them to scan and play with their Scanimalz but so far my children haven’t needed a reminder to scan their Scanimalz. They keep asking to pay with them daily! They are enjoying playing all 4 games that are part of the app- Scanyon Jump, Scantz in your Pantz, Scannon Ball, and Scanic Attack. Scanyon Jump is a game where you jump from platform to platform. Scantz in your Pantz is a game where you try to catch falling ants in your pants. In Scannon Ball you are shooting a cannon at a hole and in my favorite game, Scanic Attack you are trying to tap quickly on your character without tapping on the other characters accidentally.
Scanimalz will soon be available at Toys R Us and other retailers nationwide as well as specialty retail shops. They have a great price point of only $9.99 and they are great for children of all ages.
Are you ready to join the SCANvolution?
Want your own Scanimalz?
Enter below:
Disclosure: I received 2 Scanimalz plush toys to conduct my review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are 100% my own.
I not only got the chance to review the movie Epic before it came to theaters on May 24th, but I also had the amazing opportunity to spend some time interviewing Epic‘s director, Chris Wedge. Chris Wedge is also the director of great movies such as Ice Age and my children’s favorite, Robots, as well as Executive Producer of Rio. Wedge started his career in stop-motion animation but when I asked him which style he preferred stop-motion, regular animation, or CGI, he replied, “I don’t think I would want to go backwards. I don’t have the patience anymore to move things around for stop-motion. We can now use computers to simulate stop-motion animation and it is much easier that way.” Wedge’s initial inspiration for EPIC came when he attended an art exhibition of 100-year-old paintings that showed intricate realms existing in the woods. “The paintings had magical notions of tiny civilizations living in the trees and bushes,” Wedge recalls. “They looked like magnificent worlds, and I thought there had to be a movie here.” That was back in 1998 when Wedge got the idea of a world in the woods with tiny creatures. It took him over decade to actually get the idea off the ground and begin working on the film. Overall, it took Wedge and his team at Blue Sky Studios about 4 years to complete this project.
Blue Sky Studios’ cutting-edge animation was the perfect fit to bring EPIC alive. “Some places you can’t go any other way but animation,” Wedge explains. “We had been developing our artistic and technical capabilities, and we now had the ability to create entire worlds based in nature. I thought I could immerse audiences – visually, intellectually and emotionally – in a realm we could experience only through animation.”
When asked about how Wedge created characters for his movies he replied, “I model characters after people I know. You sometimes start off with an archetype in mind when your writing. You have a character in mind when your designing it. Sometimes you think of movie stars. Sometimes they are contemporary. Sometimes they are from the 50’s. Or maybe (you think of) a neighbor because you remember how specific there mannerisms are. You can always model the character after some combination of things your familiar with. And I think about what the character would do and why would the character do it.”
I asked Mr. Wedge if he had actors in mind when he wrote each character and he said,”No, the voice is the last part to be decided after both the story and the characters.” Once the story and the characters were created, then they began the process of deciding what actors and actresses would sound right to voice each character.
When asked who is favorite character in Epic is, Wedge replied, “(Professor) Bomba. I enjoyed creating him the most. He was a great challenge, one that I enjoyed. He is a character that’s complete and quirky and I loved his story. There’s more to him than you think there is.”
I would like to thank Chris Wedge for taking time out of his busy schedule to spend some time with us answering our questions.
Chris Wedge’s Bio
CHRIS WEDGE (Director, Story) is an Oscar winning film director, producer, and co-founder of Blue Sky Studios. Beginning his career as a stop-motion animator, Wedge later joined MAGI/SynthaVision, where he was one of the principal animators for the groundbreaking Disney movie Tron (1982). He directed the character animation sequences for the Warner Bros./Geffen Films production Joe’s Apartment (1996), and served as creative supervisor on numerous feature films and commercials.
Wedge wrote and directed Blue Sky’s first film, the touching short, Bunny (1998), which won an Academy Award for best animated short film. It was the first film to use radiosity, Blue Sky’s own advanced ambient lighting technology. In addition to the Academy Award, Bunny has won more than 25 international awards for animation excellence. Wedge went on to direct Blue Sky’s first two computer-generated animated feature films, Ice Age (2002), nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature film, and Robots (2005). He was executive producer of Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), which has grossed more than $638 million worldwide, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008), the first Dr. Seuss CG animated feature film; Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, which grossed over $887 million worldwide; and the global hits Rio (2011) and Ice Age: Continental Drift.
Wedge is a 1981 graduate of the SUNY Purchase film department. He received his Master of Arts degree in computer graphics and art education from the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and at Ohio State University.
Disclosure- I did not receive any compensation for this post but I was given the opportunity to meet Chris Wedge for the purpose of this interview post.
On May 18th, Craftsy is hosting Free Class Day to benefit DonorsChoose. For one day only, new members can choose one free course from a selection of favorite Craftsy classes, up to a $39.99 value! If you haven’t taken a Craftsy class yet, Saturday is your chance to sign up for your first by choosing from classes in quilting, sewing, knitting, cake decorating, and more.
If they meet their goal of giving away 10,000 classes, Craftsy will donate $5,000 to DonorsChoose to fund arts education in public schools across the US. Existing members are not eligible for the free course offer, but will still receive a special treat.
Dinner for two doesn’t have to break the bank even when it includes delicious seafood. From now until May 26th Red Lobster has a special Seafood Dinner for Two menu that includes 2 dinners for only $25. Last night my hubby and I went to Red Lobster to check it out. We had hoped to make it a (rare) romantic, child-free meal but with no available sitter, we took our girls and we all had a great time. On a side note~ The waitress must have thought I was a food nut or some kind of crazy for taking pictures of everything. Oh the things I do for you, my readers! 😉
Our meal began with unlimited Cheddar Bay Biscuits……YUM! Hubby and I were then given a choice of a garden or Caesar side salad. I splurged on a Caesar salad and hubby had the garden salad. Both salads were fresh, crisp, and delicious. We also chose to add a bowl of Lobster Bisque to our share for an additional fee. It was so creamy and delicious that my daughter ended up having most of it!
We then had the choice of one of 4 appetizers to share or one of 3 desserts to finish our meal. It was hard to choose between Mozzarella Cheesesticks, Golden Onion Rings, Spicy Buffalo Chicken Bites, and Lobster-Crab-and-Seafood-Stuffed Mushrooms but we chose the mushrooms. They were covered in golden, bubbly cheese and were the perfect starter for us. If you like desserts you can choose between Chocolate Wave Cake, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, or Key Lime Pie. Or for only $4.99 extra, get both an appetizer and a dessert to share.
For our main course we each had the choice of Honey-Garlic Crispy Shrimp, Seafood Lover’s Linguini, Wood-Grilled Chicken with Portobello Wine Sauce, Wood-Grilled Pork Chop, Teriyaki Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Salsa, or Bar Harbor Salad with Chicken or Shrimp. I chose the Honey-Garlic Crispy Shrimp (Hand-battered shrimp fried to a golden brown, drizzled with a honey-garlic glaze and topped with green onions. Served over cilantro rice tossed with broccoli) and my hubby chose the Seafood Lover’s Linguini (Tender shrimp, bay scallops, mussels, roasted tomatoes and green onions in a white wine and lemon-garlic sauce over linguini). Hubby’s only recommendation is that he would have preferred a cream sauce with his linguini. I absolutely LOVED my Honey-Garlic Crispy Shrimp. The shrimp were golden and crispy with a wonderful honey-garlic sauce that I could have drank, it was so delish! It was served with perfectly seasoned cilantro rice, red peppers, and broccoli. It is the type of meal that I will be craving again in the future so I am sure we’ll be making another trip to Red Lobster soon. We opted not to get dessert because it was getting late for our girls on a school night. Next time I’m sure we’ll try one of the desserts on the Dinner for 2 or one of their other yummy offerings. The Warm Chocolate Chip Lava Cookie is on my radar for sure!
As I mentioned, we brought our girls with us. They loved the Cheddar Bay Biscuits. There are plenty of choices for children on the children’s menu but my girls like to be different.
My older daughter choose the chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks appetizer for her dinner and my younger daughter chose the half portion of broiled salmon from the adult menu. She LOVES salmon so she was happy that it was on the menu. Her dinner came with a salad so she shared a Caesar salad with her sister. My girls love croutons so they were in heaven. When the salmon came out I was a little nervous that my daughter wouldn’t like it because it had seasoning on it but after one bite my fears were alleviated. She gave her salmon an immediate thumbs up and proceeded to finish it all!
Of course a trip to Red Lobster isn’t complete until my girls check out the lobster tank!
Make sure to check out Red Lobster’s lunch specials for only $7.99 as well as their other specials.
Make sure to visit your local Red Lobster by May 26th to take advantage of this great dinner for two!
Visit RedLobster.com for more information and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclosure- I received a gift card to purchase our meals to facilitate my review but I received no other compensation and all opinions are 100% my own.
Getting children to want to and remember to brush their teeth 2-3 times per day isn’t always easy despite what dentists want. And when I do get my girls to brush their teeth they often brush for 30 seconds, miss half their teeth, and say they are done. That’s not a great way to keep cavities away. I even started noticing a few of my daughter’s teeth starting to be stained because she wasn’t brushing well enough. Then we found ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™!
ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™ toothbrushes each feature two minutes of popular music to encourage children to brush longer and ensure that they brush the dentist’s recommended brushing time. They feature proprietary Music in Your Mouth™ technology that streams sound vibrations from the bristles of the toothbrush through the teeth which allows children to hear music while they brush. How cool is that?!?!
Launched in July 2012, ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™ toothbrushes feature such songs as “All Day” performed by Cody Simpson, “Dynamite” performed by Taio Cruz, “I Gotta Feeling” performed by Black Eyed Peas, “If I Ruled the World” performed by Big Time Rush, “Round & Round” performed by Selena Gomez & The Scene, “Tonight, Tonight” performed by Hot Chelle Rae, “We Will Rock You” performed by Queen.
My daughters were both excited to find out that ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™ now include two different One Direction toothbrushes which feature one of two chart-topping singles from One Direction- “One Thing” and my girls’ favorite, “What Makes You Beautiful”. Both ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™ One Direction toothbrush versions are performed by One Direction and feature 2 minutes of toe tapping, tooth-brushing music. Tooth Tunes™ One Direction toothbrushes can be purchased for a suggested retail price of $9.99 and are available at mass drug and food retailers nationwide.
You know you’ve found a great product when your children want to use it even more than you ask them to. My 9 year old couldn’t believe how quick 2 minutes went by the first time she brushed with her One Direction Tooth Tunes Toothbrush and she asked if she could brush longer. What?!?! Did I hear her correctly? She asked if she could brush her teeth more! Music to this mother’s ears (and her children’s, too!).
Do you have a One Direction fan at home? Church & Dwight Co., Inc., is excited to announce the Brush with Tooth Tunes™, Rock with One Direction Sweepstakes!
Enter for a chance to win the Grand Prize- four tickets to a One Direction concert in August 2013.
100 First Prize Winners will receive One Direction prize packs, with One Direction merchandise.
Visit ToothTunes.com to complete the registration form to be entered for your chance to win. You can enter one per week through 6/30/13. Winners will be chosen July 2013. The sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are 13 years of age or older. For official rules, visit ToothTunes.com.
You can also create an optional video of yourself or your kids brushing with a One Direction ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™ toothbrush for your chance to be featured on ToothTunes.com. I know my girls would love to be featured on ToothTunes.com just for bragging rights!
(A video is not required for entry in the sweepstakes and no purchase is necessary.)
Learn more about ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™ Toothbrushes on their website.
Follow ARM & HAMMER™ on Facebook.
Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™ partnered in support of this campaign. ARM & HAMMER™ Tooth Tunes™ compensated me for participation in this campaign. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Almondina! An amazingly delicious cookie that’s healthy! Did you ever think cookie and healthy would go together? I have to admit I am a junk food junkie all the way. If it’s sweet or has chocolate on it I will eat it. Unfortunately that isn’t a great way to eat. BOO! Thankfully Almondina has become my new favorite guilty pleasure.
With tons of flavors to choose from they really do have something for everyone! Flavors include:
The Original:
The delicious cookie without the guilt™ – this is the cookie that made us famous and it is still our #1 bestseller. Based on Grandma Dina’s original secret recipe that she called Petit Gateau Sec, we begin with top quality almonds, plump raisins, and a blend of other natural flavors, then cook this to a perfect crispness. Delicious. Crunchy. All-natural. No Cholesterol.
Choconut:
Indulge without the Guilt™ – The world’s finest chocolate in a delicious crunchy cookie. If you are a chocolate lover, then this is the cookie for you! We took the Almondina cookie recipe and added some of the best chocolate in the world. The result is a delicious, chocolaty, crunchy cookie that is still low in calories. No wonder it is a bestseller. Delicious. Crunchy. All-natural. No Cholesterol. Indulge!
Cinnaroma:
The Cinn-full Treat™ – The Original for cinnamon lovers. Almonds, raisins, and cinnamon just seem to be made to go together – so we combined them in our Cinnaroma cookie. These make a wonderful snack, but we like them best on a Sunday morning with tea of coffee. Delicious. Crunchy. All-natural. No Cholesterol.
Gingerspice:
A surprising Slice of Spice™ – zesty chunks of flavorful real ginger give this cookie a real kick. The sweet, chewy pieces of ginger add an exciting flavor dimension to this crunchy cookie. Delicious. Crunchy. All-natural. No Cholesterol.
ALMONDUO:
Nuts About This Cookie!™ – a double nut wonder with roasted almonds and pistachios. For anyone who loves nuts, this is the cookie for you. Top quality almonds and pistachios are showcased in our thin, crunchy Almondina® cookie. Delicious. Crunchy. All-natural. No Cholesterol. Go nuts!
ANNIVERSARY:
The Exotic Treat with a Hint of Mystery – the The Original with a touch of anise. The same almonds, plump raisins and natural flavor, but with the soft essence of anise that creates a wonderous flavor combination. Delicious. Crunchy. All-natural. No Cholesterol. The Flavor of Fantasy™
BRANTREATS:
Cookies for Breakfast™ – A thin, almond, raisin, cinnamon cookie with 30% oat bran. This cinnamon Brantreat® cookie makes a perfect snack or is great for breakfast. It has less fat than other premium cookies. Delicious. All-natural. No Cholesterol.
SESAME:
Open Sesame Release the Magic – an Almondina® cookie with an exotic twist. The roasted sesame adds a flavor that magically complements the almonds and raisins for a truly irresistible taste. Delicious. Crunchy. All-natural. No Cholesterol.
PUMPKIN SPICE:
A delightful touch of fall spices combined with the highest quality almonds and pepitas (pumpkin seeds). Enjoy these cookies with your favorite hot beverage or by themselves as an exquisite snack. Delicious. Healthful. Crunchy. All-natural. No added fat, cholesterol or salt.
CHOCOLATE CHERRY:
For chocolate lovers everywhere. We combined the world’s finest dark chocolate with plump cherries to produce an irresistible, decadent treat without guilt. Delicious. Crunchy. All-Natural. No Cholesterol.
CHOCOLATE DIPPED:
The addictively delicious crunch of our classic Almondina® brand biscuits is now dipped in luscious dark chocolate. This extraordinary, thin, crispy cookie is packed with roasted almonds and plump raisins and is based on Grandma Dina’s old world recipe for le petit gateau sec.
YOGURT DIPPED ALMONDINA® BRANTREATS®:
A delicious take on Grandma Dina’s secret Almondina cookie recipe, our healthy BranTreats are crispy wafers laced with the invigorating flavor of cinnamon, studded with the rich goodness of roasted almonds and natural sweetness of plump raisins. These Cookies for Breakfast™ now come dipped in our smooth delicately sweet yogurt confection and offer an all natural, guilt free indulgence. Grandma Dina would be proud.
MILK CHOCOLATE ALMONDINA® DELIGHTS:
The Original Almondina, Grandma Dina’s most treasured secret cookie recipe, is an exquisite, crispy wafer with the delicate flavor of roasted almonds and the natural sweetness of plump raisins. This irresistible cookie now comes smothered in rich premium milk chocolate for an all natural crunchy flavor sensation that will delight your taste buds and satisfy your sweet tooth. Grandma Dina would be proud.
We could all eat a little healthier, and having these on hand is a start. Whenever you are craving something crunch, or sweet Almondina has you covered. I love how much texture and flavor they have without all of the other nasty ingredients some companies put in their food.
Almondina Cookies are:
Crunchy, addictive, healthful
Free of cholesterol, coloring and preservatives
Made with no added fat or salt
Low in calories – only 30 per slice
Proudly made in America
Kosher and Pareve (non dairy)
My girls can’t have a lot of the dyes that are in most foods. I’m happy to have found a good wholesome company that still believes in good, natural ingredients. A secret family recipe that has been passed down for generation. They were finally introduced to the market 1989 (thankfully) ensuring that gourmet foods with little to no fat CAN be delicious.
We really do love all of the flavors we received. The variations between the textures and flavors are amazing. You can even add some yogurt and have quite a fulfilling snack. Don’t just take our word for it. If you haven’t tried Almondina you need to! Visit Almondina online to order or find out which stores carry Almondina. Also make sure you check them out on FACEBOOK & TWITTER
To get a true feeling for this incredible story take a look at this
Disclosure:
I was not compensated for performing this review. I received one or more products mentioned for free to conduct my review. The statements expressed by me in this post are my own personal and honest opinions of this product.
Today just might be your lucky day 🙂 One lucky winner will received the same sample pack I received! Enter below!!
