Family-Friendly Halloween Movies To Stream

Thanks to Best Buy for sponsoring this post.

Halloween time is always a favorite holiday for my kids because it means lots and lots of candy. It also means evenings curled up under blankets while we have spooktacular family movie nights at home. Here are 20 family-friendly movies to enjoy during the Halloween season:

1) Hocus Pocus

2) Toy Story of Terror

3) Coraline

4) Casper (there’s lots of versions but the 1995 one is my favorite!)

5) The Addams Family

6) Spookley the Square Pumpkin

7) It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

8) The Nightmare Before Christmas

9) Monster’s Inc.

10) Halloweentown

11) Goosebumps

12) Scared Shrekless

13) Hotel Transylvania

14) Ghostbusters

15) E.T.

16) Scooby-Doo

17) Monster House

18) Frankenweenie

19) Monsters vs Aliens

20) The Corpse Bride

With the Google Chromecast Streaming Media Player you don’t have to have cable to have access to the best Halloween movies because you can stream your favorite entertainment (movies, shows, live TV, YouTube, and more) from over 2,000 apps directly from your phone or other devices.

Using the Chromecast is easy, just plug it into the HDMI port on your existing HDTV to power and stream your favorite entertainment right from your phone with just a tap. With it’s high-speed wireless connectivity you can watch shows, listen to playlists, and more. And while streaming, you can still use your phone as you normally do.

If you have other smart home features, like a Google Home, you can even control your TV hands-free- no need to get out from under your cozy blankets! With Chromecast and Google Home working seamlessly together you can start streaming with just your voice by saying what you want to watch from compatible apps.

I love discovering new tech that makes movie night better! Don’t you? You can find the Google Chromecast at Best Buy here.

For even more fun on your Halloween movie night, pop some popcorn, order a pizza (and top it with fake spiders!), and serve a ghoulish treat (like these fun, strawberry swirl eyeball cupcakes). What else do you like to do on family movie night? Come chat with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Peter Rabbit Family Movie Night With A Mr. McGregor’s Garden Themed Popcorn Bar

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WelcomeToFamilyNight #PeterRabbit #CollectiveBias

Our family loves having family movie nights. It’s a nice break from our busy sports and work schedules and the perfect way to spend time together as a family. There’s nothing better than cuddling up together on the couch! Typically we take turns picking the movie but this week I bought the Peter Rabbit Blu-Ray + DVD Combo from Walmart for us to watch. I don’t typically get into “kid” movies but I’d seen commercials for this movie and it looked hilarious. Movies that the whole family can enjoy are the best because they keep mom, dad, AND the kids entertained!

I put together a cute little gift basket to surprise my boys with my movie selection for the week. Along with the Peter Rabbit movie, I added in a couple of their favorite frozen meals from Kid Cuisine, including Luke’s favorite- the Kid Cuisine All Star Chicken Breast Nugget Meal, for the boys to enjoy before movie night (because who wants to be doing the dinner dishes when they could be enjoying time with their family?!). Kid Cuisine serves up kids’ all-time favorites, many with full servings of vegetables. With these easy meals, you know you’re choosing dishes that will satisfy your kids. Plus, they usually have a fun dessert that kids love!

I also added in a box of Orville Redenbacher’s Movie Theater Butter Flavored Popcorn because popcorn is a must-have on movie night (and the more butter the better in my opinion)! I like Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn because they have a lot of flavor varieties and they are the only leading brand of microwave popcorn with no Artificial Preservatives, Flavors, or Dyes in any of its products. The Kettle Corn flavor is delicious as well when you are craving something a bit sweeter.

Everything fit into a basket that looked like a white picket fence.I thought it was perfect for this because it reminded me of the gate to Mr. McGregor’s garden. The movie night gift basket was a fun surprise for them after a long day at school!

I also set up a simple “garden” themed popcorn bar since, in the movie, Peter Rabbit and his three sisters love spending their days in Mr. McGregor’s vegetable garden trying to eat all his veggies. I put the popcorn in a bushel basket with an unused garden trowel as the scoop and put some napkins in a watering can. The popcorn was served in small garden pots (that were lined with napkins).

For the mix-ins I set out chocolate cookie pieces (to represent dirt but just not as messy as crushed cookies), gummy worms (like you’d find in the soil), mini marshmallows (aka bunny tails), and candy pieces (with orange ones to represent carrots). The boys favorite part of the evening was creating their own special popcorn mix!

For your own popcorn bar you can do any mix-ins your family would like. I just stuck with our movie night theme. Other mixins we enjoy are raisins, sunflower seeds, dried apple pieces, and chocolate chips. Just make sure you have some of everyone’s favorites!

The kids loved our fun family night with their special dinner and treats. We all thought the movie was great and I’m glad that we have it in our collection now. Whether it’s a family movie night during the week, or celebrating a special event, Peter Rabbit is a fun movie for the whole family. Plus, the DVD/Blu-Ray combo came with a digital copy which will be great for rewatching it on our travels this summer!

You can pick up everything you need for your next family movie night at Walmart. 

Have you seen the new Peter Rabbit movie yet? Find more fun Peter Rabbit themed ideas here.

15 Throwback Movies To Watch With Your Kids

Thanks to Tampico for sponsoring this post.

Tampico is planning an exciting refresh to its brand later this spring, so in honor of its near 30-year history, we’re taking a look back with them on the past few decades and reliving our favorite moments. Join in with the nostalgia and fun and let us know what games, tv shows, foods and more you loved from your childhood in the comments!

One of my favorite things to do during the winter is cuddle on the couch with my family. I love introducing them to the movies and television shows of my childhood (80s/90s) and winter is the perfect time to do this! We try to have movie nights every weekend, or every other weekend, so we have our list of movie night necessities ready to go before we press play.

Warm blankets? ✅

Freshly popped buttery popcorn? ✅

Something tasty to drink, like our favorite juice drink- Tampico  ✅

Then it’s just time to pick the movie. While there are so many great classics, I have a list of ones that I think are fun to watch with kids. Here are 15 throwback movies that are perfect to watch on a cold winter afternoon:

Back to the Future (1985, Rated PG)

I was not even two years old when this movie came out, so I didn’t see it until years later, but it’s one of the best movies from the decade in my opinion (and one of the few sci-fi movies I’m a fan of). The movie is all about time travel, which is an exciting concept at any age. The boys have not seen this one yet, but it will be one of the next classic movies they watch!

The Sandlot (1993, Rated PG)

Having two boys that play baseball, this movie was a must-watch for our family. It’s about a group of friends who play pick-up games of baseball together and fear “the beast” on the other side of the fence.

Home Alone (1990, Rated PG)

This one is a holiday classic that we watch at least a couple times a year at Christmas time. Kevin comes up with some pretty epic ways to keep his home from being robbed as he outsmarts the “wet bandits.” My kids can’t believe Kevin’s parents would forget him, while I sit and wonder how Kevin’s dad afforded the home his family lived in and a vacation to Paris for the whole extended family lol.

Richie Rich (1994, Rated PG)

Richie Rich looks like the luckiest kid in the world because he has all the toys he could want. What he doesn’t have though? Friends. That must be so lonely to live like that. Though my boys wished they had all the money to buy anything they wanted, I think they realized, by the end of the movie, that all the material goods in the world can’t make a person happy if they don’t have friends to share it with!

The Secret Garden (1993, Rated G)

This movie is based on the book and completely different than anything my boys would usually watch. It’s a touching story about an orphan girl who discovers a secret garden and a sick cousin, and, throughout the movie, she finds a way to bring the garden back to life and heal a family.

The Neverending Story (1984, Rated PG)

This is another movie that came out around the time I was born, but this is one of the few movies I remember watching as a child in the 80’s. This movie is complete fantasy but it stirs imaginations and kids will get a kick out of it.

The Princess Bride (1987, Rated PG)

The Princess Bride is my favorite movie on this list. Although my boys don’t like the kissing part (just like the little boy listening to his grandpa tell the story in the movie) they like the action part of it! Personally I love this movie for it’s fairytale romance and comedy.

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989, Rated PG)

Though this movie is extremely far-fetched, I love that it shows a different perspective on life (literally!) These kids, now shrunk down to a size smaller than ants, must survive the dangerous trek back to their home and get the attention of their parents. This is just a fun movie to watch!

The Karate Kid (1984, Rated PG)

I haven’t watched the original with my boys yet, but recently, we watched a newer version of this movie (the 2010 one) when my little sister was in town. I knew my boys would like it, especially because my oldest is in karate himself. They thought all the moves were pretty cool and I caught them trying them out afterwards. The original is on our list to watch this winter.

The Mighty Ducks (1992, Rated PG)

I love movies about the underdogs overcoming obstacles so it’s no surprise that this movie made my list of favorites. I also like that it shows my sports playing boys the value of hard work!

Hook (1991, Rated PG)

I love this version of Peter Pan much more than I enjoyed the cartoon version of the movie. I’m not sure if it’s because the cast includes Robin Williams and Julia Roberts, I like the idea of a grown man discovering the magic of his childhood, or the Lost Boys’ reactions upon Peter’s return, but this movie is one of my favorite Disney stories brought to life.

E.T. (1982, Rated PG)

So technically E.T. is not from my childhood, since it came out the year before I was born, but I could not leave this classic off the list! This story about a sweet alien befriending a boy was one of the first throwback movies I showed my kids. Watching it as an adult I couldn’t help but wonder how the mom didn’t realize an alien was living in her home, but as a child I didn’t think much about it.

Ghostbusters (1984, Rated PG)

As a kid, the movie Ghostbusters was a bit scary but was still a fun movie to watch. With all the new remakes of the movie since the original one came out, this is probably the most well-known movie on the list and one we’ve watched at least half a dozen times.

The Land Before Time (1988, Rated G)

My boys are a bit old for this animated movie now, but it’s perfect for little ones, especially those that are into dinosaurs. It’s about an orphaned dinosaur who makes new dinosaur friends on his journey to find the land his mother told him about.

The Santa Clause (1994, Rated PG)

This movie is my favorite holiday movie that I look forward to watching with the boys each Christmas. The sequel and third movie in the series are good as well, but the first one is definitely our favorite. It just gets us in the holiday spirit during the most magical time of the year.

If you have tweens or teens I’d also suggest Mrs. Doubtfire and Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead. A Little Princess (the 1995 version) is also a favorite of mine! There are so many great movies to choose from, so I’m wondering what you’d add to my list? Sinisa insists that Goonies should have made my list as well since he thinks it’s an iconic film, but I’m not a huge fan of it (<gasp>).

Whichever movie you choose to watch with your kids, don’t forget the snacks! We can’t have movie night at home without them! Popcorn is a favorite snack and Tampico juice always tops the list of drink options.

We tried the Blue Raspberry flavor this past movie night because it’s a favorite flavor from my childhood, so I thought it would be the perfect juice to go with our throwback movie night. I put it in cups with fun polka dot straws. Tampico tends to be our go-to for family fun nights, whether we are crafting, playing games, or watching movies.

I’d love to hear what your favorite “Splash From the Past” movie is so let me know, either in the comments below or on social (find me on Twitter at @aliciamarie112)!

Easy Halloween Family Movie Night

Thanks to Movies Anywhere for sponsoring our family movie night and this post.

Halloween is just days away so we are enjoying as much spooky fun as we can before the calendar turns over to a new month. This weekend we kept the Halloween fun going as we escaped the cold and cuddled on the couch for a movie night. The best part is that everything was easy- from finding the movie to decorating the snack table to getting dinner ready- so I wanted to share this easy movie night idea with you all!

We chose to watch Hotel Transylvania since it’s a family-friendly option that’s not too scary. This movie, and many other Halloween movies, are available on Movies Anywhere. Movies Anywhere is a free app and website that simplifies and streamlines the digital movie watching experience by allowing people to discover, access and watch their eligible movies in one place. It offers unprecedented access and next-level compatibility to the digital movie experience, syncing users libraries across their connected accounts to make it easy to see all the movies you own without having to switch from app to app. You can watch your purchased and redeemed digital movies through Movies Anywhere and across connected digital retail accounts so whether you are sitting on the couch watching a movie in your living room or huddled around your laptop enjoying some downtime on vacation, you can bring your movie collection with you.

Once the movie was picked out it was time to decorate. I used a black tablecloth and white spider webbing to cover the table and wall and I added some spiders because you can’t have a web without some eight-legged creepy crawlies in it. On the table I put a bat centerpiece, a vial of “bat’s blood” (aka fruit punch) and a jar of “eyeballs” (aka bubble gum).

I added bat stickers on to white paper cups and used plain black plates for our dinner. I picked up a cheap pizza and topped it with some fake spiders. Of course you can always make your own pizza but I was keeping it easy.

For dessert we had strawberry shortcake cupcakes. They had strawberry filling and white frosting on top with a swirl of red strawberry flavored icing. I added candy eyeballs on the top for some fun.

And what movie night is complete without popcorn? I bought a Halloween themed tin of popcorn and then split it up in treat bags with some bat shaped candies.

I love having movie nights with my family and it’s especially fun when we can have themed movie nights. This was the perfect way to end the weekend and get ourselves ready for trick-or-treating on Tuesday night!

Do you love having movie nights with your family? Make it easy with Movies Anywhere! Sign up for a free account at MoviesAnywhere.com and connect your digital movie accounts to see all your digital movies in one place. You can also redeem digital copies of movies you already own and find new movies to buy and add to your digital movie collection.

For a limited time you can get a special Movies Anywhere launch offer! Get up to 5 free movies when you connect participating digital retailer accounts. With one Digital Retailer receive Sony’s “Ghostbusters” (2016) and Twentieth Century Fox’s “Ice Age”. With a second Digital Retailer required to receive Disney’s “Big Hero 6,” Universal’s “Jason Bourne” and Warner Bros. “The LEGO Movie”. (Offers available for a limited time only. Movies subject to change. Void where prohibited. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+. Visit MoviesAnywhere.com for complete details & terms and conditions.)

Which movie would you watch first?

Attention All Puzzle Loving Families

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but all thoughts are my own.

I have a hard time sitting still and doing nothing so years ago I’d relax in the evenings by doing a puzzle while watching tv. Once I had children though, aka beings with tiny hands that like to get into everything, my relaxing puzzle evenings happened less and less because I couldn’t leave my puzzles out on the table. I’d given up on this hobby until I discovered Magic Jigsaw Puzzles, an app available in all major app stores and on Facebook. With more than 20,000 family-friendly puzzles that are perfect for all ages and skill levels, there are plenty of puzzles to choose from. Now I can still put together puzzles without my children (or my cats) messing with the pieces.

Lucas, my youngest, loves puzzles as well so this app is great for him, too. He’ll be even more excited to see some of his favorite movies have come to the app because ZiMAD, the game developer, has partnered with Sony Pictures to launch its first film-based puzzle collections within the Magic Jigsaw Puzzles mobile game. Now he can put together puzzles featuring scenes from The Smurfs, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Hotel Transylvania. Other current and new release films will be included in the game at a later date.

This app is fun for the whole family, whether you are sitting in the waiting room or your kids need something to keep them busy on a long road trip. I really like that it’s easy to switch from “beginner” to “advanced” so that both my boys and I can enjoy playing the app together. Sometimes I’ll even put together a beginner puzzle just to take a break during my work day. {Confession…I may have stopped writing this post for five minutes or so to put together a puzzle of a river I wish I was sitting by….}

If you love puzzles, or have just been looking for a new app to occupy your time, download Magic Jigsaw Puzzles today and see for yourself how much fun it is!

Superhero Fun With Tampico

Thanks to Tampico for sponsoring this post.

It’s been raining a lot here in Chicago so we’ve been trying to find indoor activities to do together like playing games, watching movies, and crafting. With the new Captain Underpants Movie coming out, I thought it would be fun to do a superhero themed craft together.

My boys can’t wait for the movie to hit theaters June 2nd. We were so happy to learn that one of our favorite juice drinks, Tampico, has partnered with DreamWorks’ for Captain Underpants’ release. My boys will be keeping an eye out for fun prizes like a Captain Underpants “prank sound board” that Tampico will be giving away from its Facebook page this summer! Until the movie is out, they’ll be staying busy and sharpening their minds by doing some summer reading! Check out these super-hero themed bookmarks we made to go along with the Captain Underpants theme!

Materials needed:

  • Cardstock
  • Stickers
  • Ribbon
  • Scissors

Making the bookmarks is easy!

Cut your card stock into a long rectangle and poke a hole towards the top.

Put the ribbon through the hole and tie it in a knot to secure the ribbon.

Add superhero stickers to the bookmark.

While we were making bookmarks we talked about what superhero powers we’d want to have if we were superheroes. Jacob said he’d want to have a superpower that would make him go fast so he could get to places quickly. He also thought it would be cool to have super strength and be the strongest person alive. Lucas also liked the idea of having super speed but wanted to be invisible, too.

Wondering what powers the adults in our home would want to have? Sinisa said he’d want to be able to fly so that he could get anywhere he wanted for free. I’d want to be invisible if I could have any superhero power.

While we crafted we enjoyed some of our favorite juice drink, Tampico. We always have a couple of gallons in the fridge. I added some fun star straws to keep up with the superhero theme.

Now the boys have fun bookmarks to use the next time they are reading. They have to catch up on the books while they wait for the movie to come out. Check out the movie trailer below. It looks like it’s going to be great and our family can’t wait to see it together.

To celebrate the movie’s release, Tampico is partnering with Dreamwork’s Captain Underpants movie and hosting some awesome superhero contests on Facebook. There will be great prizes including a grand prize of two iPads, one for you and one for your little superhero! There will also be prizes like Family 4-Packs of Movie tickets. Like and follow Tampico on Facebook and stay tuned to learn more! https://www.facebook.com/drinktampico/.

What superhero power would you and your children want to have if you were superheroes?

Movie Night To Celebrate Disney’s Moana

Thanks to Disney Home Entertainment for sending us a movie kit to celebrate Moana’s release.

You all know that our family loves movie nights so when I was asked to host a movie night for the Digital HD release of Moana I was really excited. We didn’t see the movie when it was out in theaters so we had been waiting for it to become available so we could watch it at home.

We had a chance to watch the movie this past weekend, before it came out, using the Disney Movies Anywhere app. I loved not having to run to the store to pick it up and that we could easily watch it on our television using our Google Chromecast to access the app.

About the movie:

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes Moana, an epic adventure about a spirited teen who sets sail on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest. During her journey, Moana (Auli‘i Cravalho) meets the once mighty demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), and together they cross the ocean on a fun- filled, action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and impossible odds. Along the way, Moana discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.

To celebrate the movie coming out, I set up a table with our dinner and some snacks, mixing family traditions with some of our favorite things. When I was growing up, my family had pizza almost every weekend. It was a tradition that I loved and one that I have tried to continue with my family. I set out my boys’ favorite movie snack- popcorn! To make it a bit more fun I put the popcorn in a (clean) sand pail with a shovel to scoop it out on to their plates. The other snack I served was Goldfish crackers because they went along with the ocean themed movie. For dessert I decorated cupcakes with colorful sprinkles.

After we ate, we cuddled together on the couch and watched the movie. I loved everything about Moana, from the music to the characters to the storyline. Most of all though, I loved spending time with my kids after the crazy week that we had!

Moana is out NOW on Blu-ray and Disney Movies Anywhere. Have you seen it yet?

Family Movie Night With Tampico

Thanks to Tampico for sponsoring this fun movie night post.

Our family loves having movie nights at home. Whether we are re-watching a movie we’ve seen a dozen times, or watching a movie for the first time, it’s the one time of the week that we can all just relax and enjoy time together. Along with watching the movie we will often play a game or two and have popcorn as we cuddle under blankets in our darkened living room.

Since movie nights are my favorite night of the week, I sometimes like to make them a little more special with decorations or fun snacks. This week, I decided to surprise my boys with a fun celebration in honor of the new family film, DreamWorks The Boss Baby. The movie doesn’t come out in theaters until the end of this month, but I was inspired to create a fun family movie night. I thought it would be fun to put a tray of snacks together and let my children be “the bosses” and pick the movie we’d watch.

If you know me, you know that as much as I love celebrations and parties, I love keeping it simple. This movie night can be put together in just 10 minutes once you have everything you need!

I chose to add in some {baby} blue colored elements including a blue bucket for the popcorn, blue and white chevron straws, a blue serving tray and individual cups that were blue with white polka dots.

To drink I served little cups of Tampico juice drink. As I’ve shared many times previously, Tampico is their favorite drink to pair with everything from movie night snacks to their sandwich at lunch.

For snacks we had cookies, popcorn and strawberries. If you watch the trailer for DreamWorks The Boss Baby movie you will see why I chose to add cookies to this movie night. My boys really laughed at the cookie scene in the trailer so I thought it would be fun to recreate it during our movie night :)

Popcorn is our usual go-to movie snack but I fancied it up a bit for this movie night. I mixed plain popcorn with a bit of blue decorating icing and separated them into little cups. I then sprinkled them with crushed blue and white candies.

Everything was put on a tray for easy serving and to keep any spills contained.

Tampico Raise a Boss Scholarship Sweepstakes

You can invest in your little bosses, too, with Tampico’s Raise a Boss Promotion! Just visit TampicoRaiseaBoss.com to see how to get a free digital Tampico Boss Baby activity book, and enter for a chance to win thousands of $10 movie gift cards, and a grand prize of $5,000 towards a child’s education.

Does your family have movie nights? I’d love to hear how you celebrate your favorite movies coming out. Visit Tampico’s website for more fun family ideas!

 

Ghostbusters Themed College Care Package

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BTSSpirit #CollectiveBias

This year my little sister will be a junior in college. It’s hard to believe because I can still remember the morning my mom went into labor and the months of hospital trips to the NICU that followed to visit this little one pound, fourteen ounce miracle baby. She’s turned into a beautiful woman and I’m so proud of the amazing, caring person she has become.

Since the new school year is just starting I thought I’d send her a college care package. When I was in college I loved having movie nights with my roommate and friends in my dorm so I thought it would be fun to send her a movie themed package she could enjoy with her friends. With the new Ghostbusters movie out in theaters, and the all-women cast of leading ladies, what better to send for a movie night with girlfriends than a SLIME-tastic college care package?!

When trying to figure out what to put the care package in I chose to use a clear container that my sister could reuse for storage. I started by loading it with a ton of candy. I added in some fun Ghostbusters M&M’s® bottles that I had found plus a variety of other chocolate favorites like SNICKERS®, Twix® and Milky Way®.

I then added in two of the old Ghostbusters movies. Since both Ghostbusters 1 and Ghostbusters 2 came out before her and her friends were even born, I thought they should watch those before they went to see the new movie. I also included a green portable speaker so that they could get better sound when playing the movies from their computer. This little Stay Puft Marshmallow Man character was the perfect addition as well and will put a smile on the face of anyone who sees him.

Another thing that is a must have while watching movies is popcorn. I added some microwavable popcorn packages in the care package and decided to take it a step further by sending additional supplies to make “slime” popcorn. It was super easy to make and can be sent in separate containers so that it can be made fresh whenever they are ready for movie night!

Directions:

Mix green food coloring into the marshmallow cream until you get your desired shade of green.

Pick out green M&M’s® candies from the bag.

Put both the marshmallow cream and the candies in their own separate containers.

Once they get to your student it’s easy for them to make the microwave popcorn, drizzle the green marshmallow “slime” on the popcorn and top it with green M&M’s®. It’s the perfect combo of sweet and salty!

The last thing I added in was a Ghostbusters tin container and a container of green Peanut M&M’s®. Feel free to add in anything else your college student needs while they are away at college or that they could use for a fun girls night!

I found all of the chocolate, and everything else I needed for the college care package, at Walmart. Look for the fun Ghostbusters M&M’s® display near the front of the store and keep an eye out for the in store coupon with savings of $0.75 off 1 M&M’s® Bottle now through September 30th!

Have you ever sent a college care package? What would you have added to it along with the chocolate?

Angry Birds Movie Night Party Ideas

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #AngryForSavings #CollectiveBias

Our family loves having movie and game nights as often as we can. We enjoy spending time together and I enjoy planning fun evenings. Our family night is always the highlight of our week. With the Walmart Family Mobile Plus plan we get a free VUDU movie rental ($7 value) each month which is awesome and something that makes our movie nights so much better because it gives us the opportunity to choose from more movies.

This past week we had an Angry Birds themed party. My little Angry Birds fans were so excited to watch this movie!

To start our Angry Birds party we played a couple games that we had in our game cabinet. We played a round of our Angry Birds card game and had fun trying to roll the right bird to knock out the pigs.

I had also pulled out our Angry Birds Telepods set we had received a few years ago. We hadn’t played it in a while so I used our new Coolpad Catalyst phone and the data from our plan to download the game from the app store.

I like the interactive nature of the game and how the toys can be played without the app as well. We used blocks to set up towers and then “launched” the Angry Bird character toys to try to knock the pigs off the blocks.

Since we still had a bit of time before the movie, we made a fun Angry Birds craft. We used craft pompoms and added googly eyes and construction paper beaks to make our own pompom Angry Birds. Though they didn’t look too much like the birds they were supposed to be, the boys had fun creating them and that’s all that counts, right?

Of course no movie night party is complete without something to eat and drink! First, we set up the table area and decorated it in colors of the Angry Birds characters- red, yellow, black and green (I had to look them up on my phone because I couldn’t remember what colors the main characters were lol). I covered a trifold board with streamers for the backdrop, used a green tablecloth on the table, and then set out plates, cups and silverware. To add more “themed” fun to the table, the boys and I added bird faces to some of the cups, put a few of the small Angry Birds character figures on blocks and also spread some feathers out on the table.

I served red fruit punch for the kids and fizzy lemon lime soda with colored ice cubes for the adults. To make the colored ice cubes I just put a couple drops of food coloring in with the soda in the ice cube trays and froze them. It was a fun, fizzy surprise when they were added to our lemon lime soda!

Food wise, I wanted to keep things simple so I chose to stick to finger foods and treats. For healthy choices I put together fruit and vegetable trays using black, red, yellow and green fruits and veggies.

I made the fruit tray with strawberries, green grapes, blackberries and pineapple and the vegetable tray with mini tomatoes, yellow peppers, black olives and cucumbers.

To make the cucumbers into “pig snouts” I sliced the cucumber and used a straw to poke two holes in the middle of the round slices. I think they turned out so cute and it was a fun addition to the vegetable tray.

Sticking with the “bird” theme of the day (and because I have been craving deviled eggs lately) we made “red bird” eggs for our party. Sinisa used the new phone and it’s data plan to look up a recipe online that he could follow and we then used food coloring to make the inside filling red, just like Luke’s favorite Angry Bird. The eggs were set on a plate of black feathers that we had laid a piece of saran wrap over. (While I loved them, I realized after watching the movie that “eating” eggs was probably not the right thing to do for an Angry Birds themed party lol. You’ll understand why when you watch the movie.)

For treats I made cupcakes, popcorn with red chocolate drizzle and candy sprinkles and chocolate covered pretzels.

The final touch was little glass jars filled with “bird food” (aka gummy worms) and “bird poop” (aka chocolate candies).

I love that the Walmart Family Mobile PLUS Plan offers Unlimited Talk, Text, & Data which includes up to 10GB of 4G LTE plus a free movie on VUDU every month ($7 value) per line for $49.88.* We love cuddling while we watch movies every week and this plan saves us money so we can watch even more movies!

New customers will also need to purchase the starter kit. You can start service on ANY plan today for $19.88 which is awesome! The phones are a great value as well. We bought our Coolpad Catalyst for only $59.88. (*Pricing Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to http://cbi.as/4q-u1 or your local Walmart for current pricing.)

Walmart Family Mobile also has some fun in-store events going on. While shopping, look for the Angry Birds display. You can scan the Angry Birds code on the displays to unlock a selfie augmented reality experience with the Hatchlings (who are absolutely adorable by the way). You can also visit the hub to find an in-store event near you to meet with a Walmart Family Mobile rep. The event will have a code that you can scan to receive a free power up for the Endless Runner Game on the Angry Birds Action! app.

What will you do with the unlimited data? Maybe look up a recipe, download a fun game app, watch a movie trailer, upload pictures of your family fun night or find out who sings that song on the movie soundtrack? Whatever you choose to do you will appreciate the Walmart Family Mobile PLUS Plan and all the value and data that it offers your family!

How To Have A FISHtastic Family Fun Movie Night

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #DataAndAMovie #FishAndFlicks #CollectiveBias

I shared recently how much I love Friday nights because it is our family fun night where we play games and cuddle while watching a movie. For this family fun night we decided to change it up and have a theme and with Finding Dory coming out soon we chose to have a fish themed night. In preparation of our themed movie night the boys, Sinisa and I brainstormed all the fish related ideas we could think of. I love involving them in the planning of things and they actually had some creative ideas like using a fish shaped cookie cutter to cut fish designs out of a pizza. They also vetoed some of daddy’s ideas like having anchovy pizza or sushi for dinner lol.

Here are things that we’ve found are essential to a wonderful family night.

Games

We almost always play a game or two during our family nights. This week we went with a fishing game that we’d had for a while but hadn’t opened yet. It was fun to try to pick up the fish as they chomped open and shut. Go Fish, the card game, would also be fun to play for a fish themed night.

Good Phone Plan

Whether it’s to play music for an impromptu dance party, learn about new games to play, order the pizza, look up movie reviews or call to see when Sinisa is going to be home, a good phone plan is a must for our family. The Walmart Family Mobile PLUS plan has everything- unlimited talk, text, and data which includes up to 10GB of 4G LTE plus a free movie rental (new release = $7 value) on VUDU every month. All this for only $49.88 per line. Also, for the first time ever, the starter kit is on rollback for $19.88 (from $25) so now it’s even easier to save more money setting up service on Walmart Family Mobile.

They have great affordable phones, too. I love the Cool Pad ROGUE smartphone that I got at Walmart and the best part is that it was only $19.88* (on rollback from $39.83)!

Food

One of our favorite dinners on Friday nights is pizza. It’s been a tradition for me since I was a little girl.

We hadn’t found a fish cookie cutter at the store so we asked for the pizza not to be sliced and I used the pizza cutter to cut the pizza myself so their pizza slices were fish shaped. They were amazed that their pizza was a fun shape and it went perfectly with the theme!

For snacks it’s always good to have a variety so there is something for everyone.

We incorporated some of our favorite fish- Swedish Fish- a few different ways which was perfect because we had bought a large 1.9 lb. bag of red Swedish Fish candies that was on Rollback at Walmart for $4.48. Notice the new packaging!

We had to get some Sour Patch Kids while we were there as well because I couldn’t pass up such a great deal!

Before our movie night I made special “fish bowl” treats for us to enjoy. I mixed blue gelatin according to the directions on the box and then distributed it into clear cups. I put the cups in the fridge for a few hours to let them set and then put the Swedish Fish on top. If you want your fish to “swim” then instead of putting them in for a few hours, only let the jello sit in the fridge for about 45 minutes. Take them out and use a toothpick to gently push the Swedish Fish into the partially set jello. Put them back in the fridge for a couple hours to let the jello finish firming up before your family eats them.

Along with the jello “fish bowls” I popped some popcorn and added Swedish Fish to the bowl to make a sweet & salty snack mix.

Movie

Whether it’s a movie your family has seen dozens of times or something you are watching for the first time, it’s always fun to cuddle on the couch together to watch a movie. I was excited to find out that with my new Walmart Family Mobile PLUS plan we also got a free movie on VUDU every month so we can use our ROKU player to watch new movies. This is a great bonus for our family.

Books

Before bed it’s always nice to read a book together. For our fish themed night we chose to read a book about sharks and fishes from one of the boy’s favorite series.

Want more family fun movie night ideas? The Walmart Family Mobile Hub has some great ideas! You can also find out when a Walmart Family Mobile in-store rep will be available to assist you to find the phone plan that fits your family’s needs. The reps will have Swedish Fish samples on site as well!

What fun things does your family like to do together?

*Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer here or your local Walmart for current pricing.

Build A Minion

(Disclosure: My family received free products but all thoughts are my own.)

Minions have arrived at Build-A-Bear Workshop! In anticipation of the upcoming Minions movie, my family and I headed to our local Build-A-Bear workshop to make our own little yellow friends. We love the Minions here at my home so the boys were so excited.

The exclusive, customizable collection features three of our favorite Minions characters- Kevin, Stuart and Bob. The Minions character collection, available now online and in stores, lets kids customize their Minion with a variety of signature Minions clothing items and sounds.

We discovered that our local workshop had a unique computer that let the boys add personality to their stuffed friends. The boys put the Minion’s heart on the screen and chose the personality that they wanted to add. Choices ranged from playful to brave to cute.

The next step was to add sound to their Minion. They had the option to add a variety of sounds, including the voice of the Minion or a sound they created themselves.

 The next step was to stuff the Minions with the fluff. The boys got to decide how squishy their little friends would be.

After their Minions were created they got to pick outfits, bathe them (in pretend water) and dress them. The last step was to name them.

Jake chose to stick with the real names of the Minions but Lucas enjoyed pushing every single button to create his own names for his two.

The boys loved hugging their new Minions. At the very end, each stuffed friend was given their own little box that they could be taken home in.

If you have a Minions fan, this will be something fun that you can do with them on the next rainy day. They can even bring their Minion with to watch the movie when it comes out in July!

Powering Up For The New Marvel Avengers Movie (Giveaway)

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Meijer.

When you are a parent there are countless movies you end up watching with your kids. One movie that both my kids and I absolutely love and watch over and over is MARVELS AVENGERS. Full of action and adventure and funny lines, it is a memorable family movie. The best part for the kids is all the superheroes are in it together.

As the new AVENGERS:AGE OF ULTRON movie comes to theaters May 1st we decided to have a family movie night and watch the first one again. To make the night more fun we headed to our local Meijer for snacks needed for our Avengers themed party.

My older son Jake was quick to find the Avengers fruit snacks and just had to have them. Luke my youngest hit the cereal aisle and pointed out that there were lots of Kellogg’s cereal boxes with Avengers images on them. Both boys wanted to buy multiple boxes each because they learned they could get free movie tickets. For every six codes collected we could get a ticket to see the movie they are so excited to see.

In preparation for our movie party, Meijer sent us a few items to showcase what is available to buy in their stores. The boys loved the stuffed super heroes and the blankets. Perfect companions for watching movies and bedtime.

For the movie night we wanted to have a tasty snack besides just the popcorn so the boys helped create their own snack mix. We used Kellogg’s Crispix cereal, Nestle Raisinets, pretzels and Kellogg’s Avengers fruit snacks. The boys were thrilled to have created a snack they liked eating.

Spending time with my boys is always very important and bonding over something as simple as a movie just creates special memories. We all wore Avengers T-shirts to celebrate the movie and talked about the heroes and the villains in the first movie. After re-watching it, the boys were telling me all about what they thought is going to happen in the new Marvels Avengers: Age of Ultron movie.

Now we are patiently awaiting May 1st. Everyone is geared up and excited and the boys are already talking about the next movie night we are going to have. Something tells me we might even have a Marvels Avengers theme birthday party this year. Let me know if you have a movie night party with your kids, I would love to hear about it.

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win an Avengers prize pack

HOW TO ENTER:

Share this post on a social network and leave a comment with the link below

Giveaway ends May 10, 2015 at 11:59pm CST. Must be a US resident and 21 or older to enter.

 

 

 

New Disney Planes: Fire & Rescue Collection {$100 Kohl’s Gift Card Giveaway}

(Disclosure: I participated in an Ambassador campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Kohl’s. I received promotional items and product samples as a thank you for participating.)

I love celebrating special occasions, even the littlest of ones, with special outfits. I do this when we go to events, have themed parties and when new movies come out. When we went to see Cars 2 in theaters, the boys had special Disney Cars shirts that they wore. With Disney Planes: Fire & Rescue coming out on July 18th what better way to celebrate than with special shirts and toys?

Kohl’s exclusive Disney apparel by Jumping Beans collection is in stores now! We found t-shirts, shorts, long sleeve shirts, pants, and hooded sweatshirts. The boys and I shopped the collection and Jacob and Lucas just loved all the items. Here are some of our favorites:

We are all ready for the new Planes movie now! We even got two of the character toys to play with while we wait patiently for the movie to come out. We found the toys on the same racks with the clothes.

Along with being a fun collection, I love that the clothes are well made. Since the boys are only one year apart (and both born in June), Luke can wear Jake’s hand-me-downs. I have confidence that these clothes will last a couple years. Kohl’s always has great deals as well- between weekly sales and Kohl’s cash. My kids look cute and I save money. What could be better?

Want a chance to shop the collection yourself? One lucky winner will win a $100 Kohl’s gift card! Easy entry and you can earn extra entries for sharing the giveaway!

HOW TO ENTER:

Comment below telling me what your favorite piece in the collection is

FOR AN EXTRA ENTRY:

Share this giveaway on a social network and comment below letting me know that you did so

Giveaway ends July 1, 2014 at 11:59pm CST. Must be 21 or older and a US resident to enter.

 

 

Celebrate Summer With Nickelodeon {Giveaway}

Celebrate the beginning of summer with six new DVD titles from Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon’s animated stars know how to have fun in the sun, so join favorite characters like SpongeBob SquarePantsDora the Explorer, the Bubble Guppies, and the PAW Patrol pups for some summertime adventures.  Each of these DVDs are available at retailers now and one lucky winner will receive a prize pack of all these great titles!

PAW Patrol (ALL-NEW AVAILABLE NOW)
Whenever there’s a problem, just yelp for help! The PAW Patrol pups are ready to save the day at home in their first-ever DVD, filled with 10 exhilarating adventures from the hit animated preschool series. Follow these six heroic rescue pups and a tech-savvy boy who work hard to show the people of Adventure Bay that “no job is too big, no pup is too small!”

Bubble Guppies: Sunny Days!
From the beach to the circus, to a night under the stars, join the Bubble Guppies as they swim into activities perfect for summer in these six swim-sational episodes!

Dora the Explorer: Summer Explorer
Dora and Boots are having a blast at the beach when they hear a call for help. It’s a baby crab stuck in a net! Help Dora and Boots take Baby Crab to his Mami on Crab Island.

Max & Ruby: Summertime for Max & Ruby
Max and Ruby work a lemonade stand, fly kites and put on a backyard magic show in this seasonal DVD favorite.

Nick Jr. Favorites: All Star Sports Day
Preschoolers’ favorite characters from Dora the ExplorerGo, Diego, Go!The Wonder Pets!Blue’s CluesYo Gabba Gabba! and Ni Hao, Kai-lan compete in sports and practice camaraderie in this DVD.

SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob’s Runaway Roadtrip
Join SpongeBob and Patrick for six hilarious adventures.  Enjoy the Great Barrier Reef, a cruise, a trip to the Ocean Mint, a homebound holiday and a trip that’s out of this world.

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win a prize pack of all of the above DVDs

HOW TO ENTER:

{Do any of the following tasks and leave a separate comment for each you do}

1) Leave a comment telling me why you want to win

2) Share this giveaway on social media

3) Follow @NickelodeonDVD on Twitter

4) Follow @aliciamarie112 on Twitter

Giveaway ends June 26, 2014 at 11:59pm CST. Must be a US resident and 18 or older to win.

Shake Your {Pirate’s} Booty With Rio 2 {Giveaway}

(Disclosure: I received a case of product but all thoughts are my own.)

Rio 2 came out in theaters last week and I’m excited to take the boys to see it. In the 2nd installment of the Rio movies, we follow Blu, Jewel and their three kids as they go from the city to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all – his father-in-law.

To celebrate the movie, Pirate’s Booty is offering a special Limited Edition 7-ounce package and a national “Shake Your Booty” contest to win a “Bahamas Adventure Cruise.” The Limited Edition Rio 2 7-ounce packages of Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar snacks will be available in retailers nationwide now through the end of May. Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar is a deliciously baked snack made from puffed rice corn and blended with real aged white cheddar cheese.  Pirate’s Booty has half the fat and fewer calories than regular fried potato chips, so it is a snack that kids and parents agree on.  Pirate’s Booty contains no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and is also trans-fat, gluten, peanut and tree nut free.  We love Pirate’s Booty here at our house!

In addition to the limited edition packages, Pirate’s Booty is offering people a chance to win a “Bahamas Adventure Cruise” for the entire crew through the “Shake Your Booty” contest.  Consumers can enter for a chance to win by capturing their families’ best dance moves and entering the “Shake Your Booty” contest on Pirate’s Booty’s Facebook page.  For more information and a complete listing of official contest rules, terms and conditions, please visit www.facebook.com/piratesbooty.

GIVEAWAY:

One person will win a case of Pirate’s Booty (that’s 12 full-size bags!)

HOW TO ENTER:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do}

1) Leave a comment telling me why you want to win

2) Share this giveaway on a social network

3) Leave a comment on another post here on this site

Giveaway ends May 1, 2014 at 11:59pm CST. Must be a US resident and 21 or over to enter.

VeggieTales Christmas Printable Crafts

(Disclosure: I am a VeggieTales Mom Blogger and received a copy of their newest movie. All thoughts are my own.)

When it comes to kid’s movies, some of our favorites are from VeggieTales. I love the positive messages that the movies share and the characters are so lovable. VeggieTales newest movie, Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas, does not dissapoint. Check out the trailer for the movie:

The movie is about Larry The Cucumber and reminds people of the true meaning of Christmas. Larry is a Christmas elf at the Spring Valley Mall who just wants to spread joy at the holidays. When he meets a little girl with a big heart whose only Christmas wish is to help a friend in need, “Merry Larry” sets off on adventure that will light up the holidays like never before and show the town of Spring Valley what Christmas is all about – “Christmas shines most bright and true when you give the love God gave to you!”

To go along with the movie here is a fun craft you can make with your kids. Just print, color, cut, and hang!

Here’s another fun craft! Print out the page and have your child press their finger on an ink pad and use the fingerprint to make the lights part of the Christmas lights.

Have a very Veggie Christmas!

New VeggieTales Movie: MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle {Giveaway}

(Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD for review purposes.)

The worldwide best-selling children’s series VeggieTales just released their latest DVD, MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle. Centrally themed around the lesson of “getting along with others,”  this new escapade from the Veggie gang is the perfect companion for parents looking to get their children back in the groove for back-to-school season, where they will be expected to ‘play nice’ with classmates.

My boys loved this movie and all of the fun songs. They thought the title of the movie was hilarious and giggled every time I said stinky cheese {they are 4 and 5 after all}. I really like VeggieTales as well because of their family friendly messages but especially loved this one because it talked about accepting others. As a mom of kids who have Special Needs this is a message I think is really important for all kids to learn and something we talk about often in our home.

You can find free printable activities to go along with the movie and lessons here.

GIVEAWAY:

Two readers will each win a copy of the VeggieTales DVD

HOW TO ENTER:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do}

1) Tell me why you’d like to win this giveaway

2) Share this giveaway on a social network

3) Comment on another blog post

Giveaway ends September 28, 2013 at 11:59pm Central time. Must be 21 or over and a US resident to win.

(Disclosure: I received a copy of this movie but all thoughts are my own.)

Movies On Demand {Visa Gift Card Giveaway}

(Disclosure: I am a Movies on Demand Elite Blogger and received compensation for my time. Regardless, all thoughts are my own.)

It’s hard for our family to get to the theater. With busy work, school, and sports schedules we rarely have a few hours in a row where we are all home and don’t have anything on the calendar. Having a child with Autism makes it even harder because unless it’s a movie Lucas REALLY wants to see it’s not going to keep his attention and we won’t catch the whole movie.

We normally just prefer to watch movies at home. Redbox is great when I plan ahead for movie night but sometimes we just like to have a “surprise” movie night and that’s when we turn to Movies on Demand. We also love it when we don’t feel like going out in the rain or snow and when the kids are already in bed. MOD tends to be the cheapest option for our family because Redbox movies never get returned on time.

Characters from Epic

This Summer there have been a lot of great movie options on Movies On Demand. We finally watched Epic after missing it in the theaters. It was great to sit as a family in the cool house and relax before bed.

Wondering how Movies on Demand works? Find the directions listed for each cable company here.

Right now I’m trying to decide which movie to watch next. Identity Thief looks funny and I love the actress in it. There’s a movie that has Ryan Gosling in it so I’m sure I would enjoy that :) Then there’s The Big Wedding that looks like it would keep me laughing all evening. Which one would you watch first?

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win a $25 Visa Gift Card

HOW TO ENTER:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do}

1) Tell me which movie you’d watch first

2) Share this giveaway on a social network

3) Follow Movies On Demand on Twitter

4) Follow me on Twitter

Giveaway ends on September 13, 2013 at 11:59pm Central time. Must be 21 or over and a US resident to enter.

(Disclosure: I was compensated for this post but all thoughts are my own.)

Ultimate Life DVD Prize Pack Giveaway

Between the pressure of running a foundation started by his late grandfather, being sued by his greedy extended family, and seeing his beloved Alexia leave on an extended mission trip to Haiti, Jason Stevens’ world is unraveling. But when Jason discovers a journal that his grandfather began as a Depression-era lad, his writings transport Jason on an incredible rags-to-riches ride. With everything he loves hanging in the balance, Jason hopes he can discover THE ULTIMATE LIFE.

Opening in theaters September 6, THE ULTIMATE LIFE (the sequel to The Ultimate Gift) reminds us some things are worth more than money!

With The Ultimate Life Blog App, take the quiz to find out if YOU are Living Life to the Fullest!

 GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win The Ultimate Life Prize Pack:

• DVD of The Ultimate Gift
• The Ultimate Gift book by Jim Stovall
• The Ultimate Gift charm bracelet
• The Ultimate Life leather-bound journal

HOW TO ENTER:

Leave a comment telling me how you live life to the fullest.

For an extra entry:

Share this giveaway and leave your comment with your link.

Giveaway ends September 5, 2013 at 11:59pm CST. Must be 21 or older and a US resident to enter.

(Disclosure: I was not compensated for sharing this giveaway.)

ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US Free Advance Screening Passes {Chicago}

‘One Direction: This Is Us’ Screening {Chicago}

(Please note: The flyer contains a code that will allow anyone who is interested to log on to www.gofobo.com/rsvp and enter the code listed on the flyer for the chance to redeem a free admit-two pass to the screening this Saturday at 10:30AM at AMC River East (322 E. Illinois St., Chicago, 60611). You have to scroll down on the document above to see the code. The passes are first-come, first-served and a pass does not guarantee a seat. Those with passes should arrive early.)

Synopsis: ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US is a captivating and intimate all-access look at life on the road for the global music phenomenon. Weaved with stunning live concert footage, this inspiring feature film tells the remarkable story of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis’ meteoric rise to fame, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the X-Factor, to conquering the world and performing at London’s famed O2 Arena. Hear it from the boys themselves and see through their own eyes what it’s really like to be One Direction.

Directed by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and produced by Simon Cowell, Adam Milano, Spurlock and Ben Winston.

Disney Planes Printables & Activities

Download Race to the Finish! Activities

Red Carpet Ready With Daily’s Cocktails & Wholly Guacamole {Giveaway}

It’s Oscar Sunday! Do you watch to see if your favorite movies and actors win awards or do you watch to check out the fashions on the red carpet? Daily’s Cocktails and Wholly Guacamole can make anyone feel Red Carpet Ready. We recently enjoyed some delicious snacks and slushie cocktail drinks during our movie day to prepare for tonight.

 

We had a variety of products from Wholly Guacamole sent but my favorite was the Red Pepper Mango one. Sinisa like the Spicy Pico with Guacamole one. We received a gift card to get some Daily’s Ready To Drink pouches. I loved the Strawberry Daiquiri one and the Pina Colada one.

Want to try out some Daily’s and Wholly Guacamole products yourself. Enter the giveaway below!

GIVEAWAY:

$20 Walmart Gift Card, Wholly Guacamole products, promotional items

HOW TO ENTER:

1) Tell me what your favorite movie is

2) Like Making Time For Mommy on Facebook

3) Like Daily’s Cocktails on Facebook

4) Like Wholly Guacamole on Facebook

5) Comment on another one of my posts

6) Subscribe to this blog (look in upper right corner)

Giveaway ends on March 15, 2013 at 11:59pm Central time. To enter you must be a U.S. resident who is 21 years of age or older.

(Disclosure: I received a sample package from Wholly Guacamole and Daily’s Cocktails. All thoughts are my own. Please drink responsibly. This giveaway is not associated with Facebook in any way.)

 

VeggieTales Gifts Of Service Coupons {Printable}

Here’s another great printable from VeggieTales in honor of the Lettuce Love One Another DVD. Today’s theme is serving others. You can talk as a family about what nice things you can do for others and then fill out these cards. I’m thinking about doing them with Jacob and then having him give them to daddy for Valentine’s Day :)

{PDF will load below. You can then download to your computer and print}

(Disclosure: I received a copy of the movie but am not being compensated for posting this printable.)

The Original Christmas Classics Blu-ray Box Set {Giveaway}

It wouldn’t be Christmas without Rudolph, Frosty, and Santa! I love snuggling up on the couch under blankets with the boys and watching some of our favorite holiday movies so I’m really excited to share this great giveaway with you all!

The Original Christmas Classics collection features four TV specials:  the Rankin/Bass classics “Frosty the Snowman,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” and “Frosty Returns.”

The Original Christmas Classics collection will be available wherever Blu-rays are sold. The set retails for about $45. If you are an Amazon Prime member the set is currently being sold for $28.85 and with 2 day shipping you’ll get it before Christmas!

GIVEAWAY:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do}

1) Leave a comment telling me which one of the specials is your favorite

2) Like The Original Christmas Classics on Facebook

3) Like Making Time For Mommy on Facebook

4) Subscribe to this blog via email {look in upper right hand corner}

Giveaway ends December 27, 2012 at 11:59pm Central time. US 18+ only.

(Disclosure: I received a copy of this gift set. This giveaway is not associated with Facebook in any way.)

‘I Can Sign’ DVD {Giveaway}

Learn how to use sign language to converse with your baby even before she can speak actual words! With I Can Sign, you will give your baby the precious gift of self-expression.

I Can Sign offers a simple and engaging way to teach parent and baby how to sign key words. This is a great way to open the lines of communication, even before baby learns to speak!

The DVD can be purchased from the BabyFirstTV website but you can enter to win one here at Making Time For Mommy!

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win BabyFirstTV’s ‘I Can Sign’ DVD

HOW TO ENTER:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do}

1) Tell me what word you’d like to teach your child/grandchild first

2) Share this giveaway on a social network

3) Like BabyFirstTV on Facebook

4) Like Making Time For Mommy on Facebook

5) Follow @BabyFirstTV on Twitter

6) Follow @aliciamarie112 on Twitter

Giveaway ends January 3, 2013 at 11:59pm Central time. Open to US and Canada residents.

(Disclosure: I was not compensated for hosting this giveaway. I have not watched this DVD.)

Redbox Movie Rental Codes Giveaway {25 Winners}

I love renting movies from Redbox. It’s so easy to do my grocery shopping and pick up a movie or two on my way out. Did you know that you can reserve movies online at Redbox.com? I didn’t learn that until recently but it’s something you will want to do if you are hoping to get a specific new release!

Redbox has given me 25 codes to share with my readers! Here’s what I’m going to do… if you would like a code, share any blog post of mine (can be this one or another) on a social network and leave a comment below telling me you’ve done so and the link to your share.  The first 25 verified entries will be sent a code for a complimentary rental at Redbox! (Please note: This is good for one night rental, if you lose it or return it late I’m not responsible for any extra fees you will be charged. Only one entry per person please. Don’t forget to include a valid email for me to send your code to.)

(Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post but Redbox supplied the codes for me to give out.)

Parental Guidance Movie Pre-Screening {Free Tickets}

If you are in the Chicago area I have a special treat for you! I get to offer 20 of my readers a pair of tickets to the pre-screening of this movie. I’ve seen the previews for it and it looks like it’s going to be a hit. Here’s the synopsis of the movie:

Old school grandfather Artie (Billy Crystal), who is accustomed to calling the shots, meets his match when he and his eager-to-please wife Diane (Bette Midler) agree to babysit their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents (Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott) go away for work. But when 21st century problems collide with Artie and Diane’s old-school methods of tough rules, lots of love and old-fashioned games, it’s learning to bend–and not holding your ground–that binds a family together.

This movie opens in theaters Tuesday, December 25, 2012 and is rated PG.

Want to see it early? Here are the details:

Event Info:
December 13, 2012 at 6:30PM
Chicago, IL

Get your pair of tickets here:

https://www.gofobo.com/rsvp/promotion/dafeed2920b3ad631797da6b460911ed

Hurry because there are only 20 sets!

*Please note that the screening is overbooked and seating is first come, first serve*

(Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I am happy to offer this special treat to my readers.)

The Amazing Spider-Man Themed Party

With The Amazing Spider-Man movie’s upcoming release on November 9th the stores have been full of Spider-man mania and infected our house! The kids and I wanted to throw a Spider-Man party for our extended family so we headed to Walmart to get our food and decorations.

We got Spider-Man tableware, party favors, and themed activities to do during the party. It was then time to head to the grocery side and stock up on food.

I was excited to find The Amazing Spider-Man pizza boxes that Walmart had out for the movie release. Closer to the movie launch, Walmart will be releasing Amazing Spider-Man themed Augmented Reality triggers that will be included on the pizza box & display pallet, triggering special Amazing Spider-Man experiences on shoppers’ iPhone, iPad or Android in-store.We also got boxes of cheese-it’s and fruit snacks that had Spider-Man packaging. And what party would be complete without some kind of dessert? We got a package of cupcakes that had Spider-Man rings on top of them.

I decided to host the party at my mom’s house since it’s larger than mine. My brother’s family came over for the party and the kids are always excited to see their cousins. Each of them wore a Spider-Man shirt for the occasion. While the pizzas cooked and I set the table the kids watched Spider-Man cartoons.

I kept the table-settings easy. I used disposable Spider-Man plates and plain napkins. I was going to get disposable cups too but Walmart had kid’s reusable cups for less than a dollar each so I chose to get them and then each child could have one to take home. I loved the masks because they were an inexpensive way for the kids to pretend to be Spider-Man. They were a hit with the adults, too! My brother put one on and was a good sport and let me take his picture!

After we ate pizza the children enjoyed doing a variety of activities. They colored Spider-Man pages, made sticker books, and played with Spider-Man character figures.

Before leaving everyone enjoyed the Spider-Man cupcakes.

At the end of the party each child took home a goodie bag with Spider-Man figures, fruit snacks, stickers, sticker books, rings, masks, and cups.

Are you a Spider-Man fan? Did you know that you can view the movie before it comes out on the 9th?! Since we bought the pre-purchase case we were able to watch the movie on October 30th and will get the hard copy mailed to us when it’s released. If you get The Amazing Spider-Man Pre-Purchase from Walmart you can watch the movie on VUDU now along with being able to access special features. You can get all of the details by reading my post from last month. This is a must buy for any Spider-Man fan!

(Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment #CBias #SocialFabric #SpiderManWMT )

VeggieTales The Penniless Princess DVD {Review & Giveaway}

Sweet Sara Crewe has everything a little girl could want — a loving family, lots of friends and a closet full of frilly dresses! But when life takes a turn and Sara goes from riches to rags, will she realize that her true worth lies not in what she has, but what she has in her heart? Find out in this inspiring new story from VeggieTales that reminds kids who they are in God’s eyes.

I wasn’t sure how interested the boys {ages 3 and 4} would be in a movie about Princesses but, since they likes other VeggieTales movies, I figured it was worth a try. As I watched this movie with my boys I realized that the storyline was similar to my favorite children’s movie, The Little Princess. The other movie the boys won’t sit through but since the VeggieTales one has cartoon characters and lively songs this one was a hit. The message that God will love them no matter what is one of the most important lessons I want them to learn.

I love that VeggieTales movies always have positive messages and that they line up with our morals. Nowadays some of the shows Jacob wants to watch don’t seem appropriate for preschoolers but I can always expect wholesome entertainment when I put in a VeggieTales movie.

The Penniless Princess comes out August 11th but you can win a copy here!

***

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win The Penniless Princess on DVD

HOW TO ENTER:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do}

1. Tell me who you want to win this movie for

2. Share this giveaway on a social network

3. Comment on another one of my posts {found here}

4. Follow me on Twitter

5. Follow @VeggieTales on Twitter

6. Subscribe to this blog via email {look in upper right corner}

Giveaway ends August 21, 2012 at 11:59pm Central time. US only.

{Disclosure: I received a copy of the DVD but all thoughts are my own.)

Awesome Adventures: Races, Chases & Fun {Children’s DVD Giveaway}

Lucas absolutely loves Thomas and Fireman Sam so he got the biggest smile on his face when I gave him an envelope and he opened it to find the new DVD from HIT Entertainment, Awesome Adventures {Volume 2}: Races, Chases & Fun. On the cover were Fireman Sam, Thomas, and Bob The Builder. He immediately wanted to open it and watch it. I put it on and the boys eyes were glued to the movie the whole time. They started watching it for a second time but I stopped it and said that it was time for bed. The next morning what did they want to watch as soon as they got up? You guessed it… the same movie! I was happy that they liked this movie because I think these shows teach great lessons about friendship and sharing which is a topic that we are really focusing on right now with Lucas headed to preschool in about a week.

About the movie from HIT Entertainment:

Get set for more awesome adventures with Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam. Vol 2 of the Races, Chases & Fun DVD series features six exciting tales. Racing engines, runaway go-carts and monster chases lead to thrills, spills and rescues! Thomas and Hiro discover there’s no need for speed when trying to be a Really Useful engine. Fireman Sam is rescue-ready when Norman and James forget to put safety first. Bob the Builder’s Machine Team keep their eyes open to big adventure and big fun, putting the TEAM in teamwork and getting the job done.

The 6 Episodes Included:

1. Thomas & Friends: “Play Time”

2. Thomas & Friends: “Hiro Helps Out”

3. Fireman Sam: “Floating Cart”

4. Fireman Sam: “When Fools Rush In”

5. Bob The Builder: “Roley’s Rovers”

6. Bob The Builder: “Lofty and the Monster”

Buy It:

The movie can be purchased for $14.99 on HIT Entertainment’s site

Win It:

One reader will win a copy of Awesome Adventures: Races, Chases & Fun

How To Enter:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do}

1. Tell me which character is your child/grandchild’s favorite

2. Like Making Time For Mommy on Facebook

3. Follow @aliciamarie112 on Twitter

4. Share this giveaway on a social network

5. Enter another one of my giveaways {found here}

6. Subscribe to this blog via RSS or email {look in the upper right corner}

Giveaway ends July 5, 2012 at 11:59pm Central time. US Only.

(Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this DVD but all thoughts are my own. This giveaway is not associated with Facebook in any way.)

Happy Father’s Day! {From Disney-Pixar’s BRAVE}

‘The Avengers’ Superhero Birthday Party Ideas

With the success of ‘The Avengers’ movie I think there will be a lot of children wanting superhero birthday parties. Here are some great ideas from Ms. Ricky Eisen, Founder and President of Events and Celebrations by Between the Bread on how to throw a superhero party worthy of ‘The Avengers’.

Invitations: Start your party off right with the perfect invitation. You can make your own postcard invitations with cardboard cut-outs of bright blue painted stars, and include the details about your party in a thin black marker. Decorate the front of each with classic comic book words like POW!, ZAP! And WAM!

Décor: The Avengers bring together 6 epic superheroes. Create your own easy decorations with cardboard cutouts of spiders and paint them black, neon green head’s of The Hulk and classic American flags for Captain America and, throughout the party, use bold colored streamers, which will add some mystery to the room.

Centerpieces: Choose your favorite Avenger and decorate the table around that character. Use lots of primary colors, since comic strips are usually blue, yellow and red. Print outs of comic book pages covered in contact paper make great placemats. Blanket your tables with these to tie the décor together and include stars, spiders and Hawkeye cut-outs on wooden sticks around the table with silver confetti.

Music: Keep the music simple but fun. “Live to Rise,” the original song written for and appearing in the film is the first single from the Marvel Music/Hollywood Records release Avengers Assemble.  The epic and cinematic video, featuring a searing live performance with film footage, was directed by Robert Hales (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Janet Jackson, Kings of Leon, Justin Timberlake).  View “Live To Rise”:  http://www.vevo.com/watch/soundgarden/live-to-rise-from-marvels-the-avengers/USH5V1221447 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ZNtOcY_1A

Menu: Mini snacks such as cut-out tea-sandwiches make great finger food. Look for cookie cutters in shields, stars and spiders to create these treats. For Incredible Hulk themed beverages, create trays of green ice cubes by freezing water with green food color, and WOW! guests as their clear citrusy beverages transform color before their very eyes.

Party Favors: As a parting gift, place a few Avenger designed cookies in a cellophane bag and close with a gold twist-tie – your guests can enjoy the party for days to follow with these treats!”

RECIPE

 1.    Whip up a batch of your favorite sugar cookie recipe and use a cookie cutter to make character cookies.  They make Superhero cookie cutters in the shape of many Avengers heroes.  You can also use any oval shaped cookie cutter and instead fill in the details with your decorating.  Once your cookies are baked and cooled, you are ready to begin decorating.

2.    You can make your own royal icing (See:  How to Make Your Own Royal Icing included below) or use store-bought.  Color with food coloring to achieve the various colors you want for decorating.  We recommend green (for the Hulk), yellow, blue, black, white, and brown.  Place each color in a piping bag.

3.    Begin by outlining the cookie in your base color.  (If you were starting with The Hulk, outline the entire shape in green.  Color in your outline with green icing and cover the entire cookie.  (You can actually use a paintbrush to “paint” your cookie.)  Give the base a few minutes to dry and choose your next color.  For The Hulk’s hair, outline his hairline in black and proceed to fill in with black icing.  You can continue to draw features in and watch your character come to life.

How to Make Your Own Royal Icing

  • 3 egg whites, at room temperature.  We prefer dehydrated egg whites, available at most supermarkets.
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  • food coloring (optional)

Mix above ingredients with a little warm water until smooth.  Add food coloring.

(Disclosure: All information courtesy of Disney. I was not compensated for this post.)

‘October Baby’ In Theaters Today

October Baby is out in theaters today! Watch this clip from the movie and find out more about it below.

Synopsis:

As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah—unscripted—collapses in front of the stunned audience.

After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah’s difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to what she then learns from her parents: she was actually adopted … after a failed abortion attempt.

Bewildered, angered, and confused, Hannah turns for support to Jason, her oldest friend. Encouraged by his adventurous spirit, Hannah joins his group of friends on a Spring Break road trip, embarking on a journey to discover her hidden past … and find hope for her unknown future.

In the midst of her incredible journey, Hannah finds that life can be so much more than what you have planned.

*****

10% of the movie profits will be given to the Every Life is Beautiful Fund, which will distribute funds to frontline organizations helping women facing crisis pregnancies, adoption agencies, and those caring for orphans.

*****

(Disclosure: This is not a compensated post.)

Dinosaur Train: T.Rex Tales {Review}

About the DVD:

“Dinosaur Train embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while sparking an interest in life science, natural history, and paleontology. Dinosaur Train – T.rex Tales includes: I’m a T-Rex!, Armored Like an Ankylosaurus, T-Rex Teeth, Buddy Explores the Tyrannosaurs, T-Rex Migration, Play Date with Annie, A Spiky Tail Tale, Big Stomping Feet, and Don’s Winter Wish.”

Our thoughts:

The boys love watching Dinosaur Train. They love trains in general but I think it’s the characters of the show that really capture their interest. I liked that the DVD includes a winter themed episode because it’s perfect for watching during this cold weather. The Play Date with Annie episode is my favorite because it talks about inclusion which I, as a mom of kids with special needs, believe is a really important lesson for children to learn at an early age.

The movie is available now and can be purchased in the PBS store.

(Disclosure: I received a copy of this movie to review but all thoughts are my own.)

Movie Tickets Giveaway {The Adventures Of Tintin}

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Thanks to Purina Dog Show Brand Dog Food and Klout I have a pair of tickets to giveaway to one reader so they can see The Adventures Of Tintin.

More about the movie:

“Tintin is on the trail of a big story which leads him into a world of high adventure. When he and his friends find the directions to a sunken ship, they go off to find the treasure it contained and Tintin must face the notorious Red Rackham.”

GIVEAWAY:

One person will win two codes for movietickets.com to redeem for tickets to see “The Adventures of Tintin”

{Maximum value of $15 per ticket}.

HOW TO ENTER:

(Do any or all of the following, leave a comment for each you do)

1) Leave a comment telling me why you want to win

2) “Like” Making Time For Mommy on Facebook

3) “Like” Purina Dog Chow on Facebook

4) Share this giveaway on a social network

5) Follow @aliciamarie112 on Twitter

6) Enter another one of my giveaways (found here)

7) Subscribe via email or RSS (look in the upper right corner)

Giveaway ends January 10, 2012 at 11:59pm CST. US only.

(Disclosure: I received products from Purina via Klout including these two tickets but all thoughts are my own. Code to movietickets.com expires on February 1, 2012. This giveaway is not associated with Facebook. Winner is responsible for any tax charged on the purchase of the tickets if there is any.)

Disney Classics Movie Giveaway

Disney Giveaway Fun - Win Walt Disney Classics Pinocchio and Bambi

A giveaway your whole family can enjoy – full of Disney goodness, sweet Bambi, and naughty, redeemable Pinocchio awesomeness! Who wants to score two classics for their family?

Well, to show our appreciation for our dear readers, Kat of Kat’s Cafe and Making Time For Mommy have joined together to bring you a giveaway that ends on Christmas Day – and is perfect for everyone in the family!

You won’t want to miss this chance to win two amazing Disney classics for just a few minutes worth of liking, following, circling, and otherwise following back all the blogs involved in the fun.

Here’s a little more information about the amazing Disney set you could win:

Giveaway Movie #1: Walt Disney’s Pinocchio, 70th Anniversary

Walt Disney's Pinocchio, 70th Anniversary Edition for giveaway

From the Back of the Case:

Walt Disney’s Original Classic That Taught The World to Wish Upon a Star

Through the magic of Blu-ray High Definition, immerse yourself in the fantastic world of Walt Disney’s legendary masterpiece Pinocchio. Now with an all-new digital restoration and Disney Enhanced High Definition sound, the richly detailed animation, unforgettable award-winning music and adventure-filled story will dazzle your senses like never before.

You’ll receive 2-Disc Blu-ray with these bonus features:

  • Never-before-seen deleted scenes
  • Never-before-seen alternate ending
  • No Strings Attached: The Making of Pinocchio
  • Audio Commentary with Leonard Maltin, Eric Goldberg and J.B. Kaufman
  • Geppettos then and now
  • Plus many more Blu-Ray only features!

You’ll also receive these DVD Features:

  • Full-Length Film
  • All-New Digital Restoration
  • All-New 5.1 Disney enhanced home theater mix
  • All-New music video

And Pinocchio is BACK IN THE VAULT! You won’t find it on Disney’s site!

#2 – And Don’t Forget you can also win Walt Disney’s Bambi!

Walt Disney's Bambi Diamond EditionFrom the Back of the Case:

For the first time ever, the wonder, music and majesty of one of Walt Disney’s greatest triumphs come alive in glorious detail through the magic of Blu-ray high definition! Now Bambi, Wal Disney’s beloved coming-of-age story, will thrill a new generation of fans with its breathtakingly beautiful animation, soaring music and characters who will touch your heart–Bambi, the wide-eyed fawn, his playful pal Thumper, the lovable skunk Flower and wise Friend Owl.

You’ll get all these features between the Blu-Ray and DVD:

  • Features Disney Enhanced High Definition Picture and Sound
  • Disney’s Second Screen – Content comes alive on your laptop, or iPad as you watch the movie.
  • Disney View – 16×9 Full frame viewing experience
  • Intro by Diane Disney Miller
  • Inside Walt’s Story Meetings – Enhanced interactive edition
  • Two never-before-seen deleted scenes
  • Deleted song
  • Blu-ray interactive galleries
  • Game: Disney Big Book of Knowledge
  • Classic DVD bonus features

Enter this Amazing Disney Classics Giveaway Now!

Babar And Father Christmas DVD {Review}

Christmas movies are a must in our household during the Holiday season because it puts everyone in a festive mood and gives our family a chance to sit down and relax while we cuddle on the couch. The newest Christmas movie we have watched is Babar And Father Christmas (which is actually a remake of the 1986 classic).

Here’s more information about the movie:

“In this delightful, fully animated holiday tale, Babar’s children, Arthur, Pom, Flora and Alexander write a letter to Father Christmas asking him to visit Celesteville at Christmas.  But their letter never arrives because it is stolen by Babar’s Arch-enemy, Rataxes the Rhinoceros, who wants all of Santa’s toys for himself!  When Babar sees his children so disappointed, he decides to make a journey in search of Father Christmas.  Secretly followed by Rataxes, Babar’s adventure takes home viewers from Paris all the way to the North Pole, to the very toy shop of Father Christmas himself!  Can Babar save Christmas for Celesteville?”

My boys enjoyed the movie and I enjoyed watching a “classic” version of Babar. I also liked the fact that two bonus episodes came with the movie because it was an added surprise! Jake and Luke really loved the Babar coloring book that was included in the DVD case. They didn’t color in the booklet, they liked to just flip through the pages and look at the pictures.

The movie is available for purchase here.

(Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD to review but all thoughts are my own.)

Dreamwork Pictures’ Real Steel {Giveaway}

In DreamWorks Pictures’ gritty, white-knuckle action ride “Real Steel,” Hugh Jackman stars as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up boxer in the near future who, because his sport has been taken over by 8-foot steel robots, now lives in a world where he doesn’t fit in. With no fights and no prospects, Charlie is forced to hustle as a small-time robot fight promoter. He earns just enough money to survive by piecing together low-end “bots” and traveling from one seamy underground boxing venue to the next for whatever prizefight he can wrangle for his automatons. Just when things can’t become any more desperate and complicated, his estranged, tough-beyond-his-years son Max (Dakota Goyo) suddenly and unwillingly comes back into his life.

The alienated duo reluctantly team up to rebuild and train a scrap-heap robot and turn it into a boxing contender. As stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred fighting arenas are raised, against all odds Charlie gets one last shot at a comeback.

“Real Steel” is an underdog story with cinematic scope and a unique premise that offers surprises along the way. The film combines the best of grand spectacle with relatable, grounded storytelling. “Real Steel” director Shawn Levy experienced the story as a tale of redemption for three lost and forgotten souls. “The main characters––a father, his son and a machine––are each abandoned beings,” Levy says. “All three of them have been cast aside and forgotten. The substance of the story is about how this trinity has a chance of returning to grace.”

***

Real Steel comes out in theaters this Friday, October 7th!

Find out more on the Real Steel Facebook Page.

 Giveaway:

REAL STEEL t-shirt in adult  sizes of S, M, L, XL

REAL STEEL bottle opener

REAL STEEL stickers

REAL STEEL temporary tattoos

How To Enter:

(Do any or all of the following and leave a comment for each)

1. Subscribe to this blog via RSS or email

2. Watch the movie trailer included in this post

3. Follow me on Twitter

4. Write a blog post about this giveaway and include a link to this post

5. Share this giveaway on Facebook

6. Enter another one of my giveaways and let me know which you entered

 7. Stumble, digg, or social bookmark this giveaway

8. Tweet “Enter to win a Real Steel prize pack from @aliciamarie112 at www.makingtimeformommy.com

***

Giveaway ends October 15, 2011 at 11:59pm Central time. Open to US and Canada.

(Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post.)

Dinosaur Train {News And A Giveaway}


If you have a Dinosaur Train fan in your house you don’t want to miss the season premiere on PBS KIDS of Dinosaur Train:  Dinosaur Big City on August 22 and the DVD release on August 23. In addition to the TV premiere and DVD coming out, the Jim Henson Company, Random House Children’s Books and Paramount Home Entertainment have partnered with Amtrak for a nationwide promotion in August.

Now through August 31st, families can embark on their own DINOSAUR TRAIN adventure by entering the Amtrak – Dinosaur Train Sweepstakes.  One lucky family of 4 (2 adults / 2 children) will win an Amtrak Vacations® Rocky Mountain National Park Tour to visit the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park, Colorado as part of thegrand prize.  In addition, the promotion will feature DINOSAUR TRAIN placemats on Long Distance Trains, while seatbacks, counter cards, activitybook giveaways will be in over 100 stations nationwide to promote the sweepstakes and DVD release.  One million ticket jackets will be used system wide featuring DINOSAUR TRAIN. The “Dinosaur Big City” DVD will also include an Amtrak offer in 50,000 units.  Visit www.henson.com/Dtsweepstakes for promotion details.

The DINOSAUR TRAIN: Dinosaur Big City DVD includes eight fun and engaging learning adventures, as well as interactive games, coloring pages, a dinosaur reference guide and information for parents. In “Dinosaur Big City,” join Buddy the T. rex and his Pteranodon family as they gather all their Theropod friends together to travel to the big Theropod Club Convention which is being held in Laramidia, the “Dinosaur Big City!” Among the travelers is King Cryolophosaurus, who’s more than a little nervous about giving a concert in front of his biggest audience ever. Can Buddy and Tiny help him overcome his fear of performing?

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win a copy of the DINOSAUR TRAIN: Dinosaur Big City DVD.

HOW TO ENTER:

(You may do any or all of the following. Leave a comment for each.)

1) Answer this question: Have you ever taken your children/grandchildren for a train ride?

2) Follow @aliciamarie112 on Twitter

3) Follow @hensonparents on Twitter

4) Share this giveaway on Facebook

5) Share this giveaway on Twitter

(sample tweet: Enter to win a Dinosaur Train DVD from @aliciamarie112 at www.makingtimeformommy.com)

6) Enter another one of my giveaways

Giveaway ends: September 1, 2011 at 11:59pm.

(Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. US readers only please.)

Fandango and Cars 2 {Review and Giveaway}

Our family does not go out to the movies very often but when something comes out that one of us really wants to see we will go to the theater to see it. Cars 2 was one of those movies. Every time a commercial for the movie would come on TV, Jacob (my 3 year old) would tell me he wanted to watch it.

I recently downloaded the Fandango application on my mobile phone which makes going to the movies a little easier. From my phone I can search for movie times and theater locations, read reviews of movies, and even order my tickets. Normally I would read the reviews of movies if it’s a movie I want to see but if it’s a children’s movie I don’t read the reviews. I loved the convenience of the application. I looked up movie times for Cars 2 and bought my tickets while sitting in a hospital waiting room. To learn more about how easy it is to use the Fandango mobile application you can view my ThisMoment story.

Right now Fandango is running a fun promotion for Cars fans! When you buy your tickets on Fandango you get a FREE iTunes download of the Tokyo Mater short film from Pixar. That’s a great added bonus for something we were going to purchase anyways :)

This was Jacob’s first time seeing a movie in a movie theater. I was worried that he wouldn’t sit through the whole thing but he sat through all of it until the last ten minutes or so when he wanted to stand and try climbing over the seats in front of us. He said that he liked the movie and as soon as it was over he said he wanted to watch it again. I thought the movie was good but I liked the first one more. I think the first one was geared towards younger children and the new movie is for older children. The storyline was a little too complex for a three year old and some of the material was, in my opinion, a little inappropriate for younger viewers.

GIVEAWAY:

One lucky reader will win a pair of tickets from Fandango to the movie of their choice.

(Winnie The Pooh is coming out July 15!)

HOW TO ENTER:

(Do any or all of the following)

1) Like Making Time For Mommy on Facebook

2) Like Fandango on Facebook

3) Follow @aliciamarie112 on Twitter

4) Follow @Fandango on Twitter

5) Tweet: “Enter to  win a pair of movie tickets from @Fandango and @aliciamarie112 at www.makingtimeformommy.com”

6) Share this giveaway on Facebook

7) Subscribe to my blog via email

8) Enter another one of my giveaways

Giveaway ends 8/3 at 11:59pm Central time.

(Disclosure: This #gocars2 shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts are my own.)

Cars 2 Giveaway

Cars 2 is going to be racing into theaters everywhere on June 24th. I am looking forward to taking Jacob to see the movie (his first time going to the movie theater!) If you have a child who loves Cars as much as mine do, be sure to check out the FREE themed activities they have online including mazes, soap box dragster activities, t-shirt designs, a Radiator Springs play set and much, much more!

About the movie:

Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in “Cars 2” when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car.  But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.  Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer).  Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world.  The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.

GIVEAWAY:

Disney is providing one lucky winner with a Cars 2 prize pack that includes:

CARS 2 t-shirt (in youth sizes of S, M, L, XL)

CARS 2 set of 3 bumper tickets

CARS 2 temporary tattoo sheet (2 per winner)

CARS 2 puzzle

HOW TO ENTER:

(Do any or all of the following)

1. What is your’s (or your child’s) favorite Cars character

2. Like Making Time For Mommy on Facebook

3. Like Cars 2 on Facebook

4. Follow @aliciamarie112 on Twitter

5. Tweet “Enter to win a Cars 2 prize pack from @aliciamarie112 at www.makingtimeformommy.com”

6. Update your status on Facebook with “Enter to win a Cars 2 prize pack at www.makingtimeformommy.com”

7. Enter another one of my giveaways and tell me which one you entered

8. Subscribe to my blog (it’s FREE) so you don’t miss a giveaway

Giveaway ends July 5, 2011 at 11:59pm Central.

(Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts are my own.)

Carnal Innocence Movie On Lifetime

Nora Roberts is my favorite author so I was really excited to review Carnal Innocence, Lifetime’s newest movie based on the book by Nora Roberts. It’s one of the few books of hers that I have not read yet. This movie was not what I was expecting at all since I’m used to reading romance novels from her and this, to me, was more a thriller than a romance (though it was not lacking in the romance department). The plot kept me guessing and the secret that one of the characters shared at the end caught me off guard. Overall, I thought it was a great movie and one I would definitely watch again.

Here is a description of the movie (from Lifetime’s website):

Based on the book by Nora Roberts. After suffering a professional setback, world-renowned violinist Caroline Waverly (Gabrielle Anwar) decides to head to Innocence, Mississippi, where she spent summers as a child, for some peace and solitude away from the spotlight. Shortly after arriving, Caroline meets the arrogant but charming Tucker Longstreet (Colin Egglesfield), a member of one of the town’s most prominent families, who is quickly smitten by her. But Caroline’s dreams for tranquility turn into a nightmare when she discovers the body of a young woman, the possible victim of a serial killer whom the authorities suspect may be Tucker. Caroline soon discovers that even in a town called Innocence, secrets have no place to hide. Oscar winner and multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Shirley Jones also stars.

(Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of the movie to review but all thoughts are my own.)