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Veggie Tales ~ The Little House That Stood

Posted by Professor on April 20, 2013
in DVDs & CDs, Movies, Music, TV Shows, Uncategorized

I am sure you know by now that everyone in our house is an avid Veggie Tales fans! Both children and adults will delight in this new DVD! This DVD features the parable of the wise and foolish builders and boasts a lesson in making good choices!

DVD synopsis: When the Three Little Pigs roll into Cabbageville looking to build some new houses, they meet one builder with a plan and two without a clue! Larry builds with hay, Mr. Lunt with bricks, but only Bob builds his house on a firm foundation ~ following the wise plans from the “Master Builders Handbook!” Will the Three Little Piggies make the right choices when it comes to building their houses ~ and their lives ~ on solid ground? Find out in this parable that shows children that when they follow God’s blueprints, they can stand strong when the storms come!

Additional Material: THE GOOD EGG OF GOOSEVILLE! Ever wonder what happened BEFORE Humpty cracked? Find out in this very Veggie retelling of the classic Humpty Dumpty story.

Our Review:

As we say time again and again…YEAH Veggie Tales! We love the life lessons that only the Big Idea group can bring to our family through Veggie Tales! This DVD delights both children and adults. We loved the twist on the familiar fairytale story. This episode is a great allegory about building your life on a firm foundation. We especially liked that the parable presented in the DVD opened up conversation with our older children about building a life founded in faith while entertaining the young one with valuable lessons through song and story.

I cannot say enough about the Veggie Tales series of DVD’s we LOVE them! The Bonus features on the DVD are an added plus! The children love the silly songs and back-stories…while adults love the discussion guide!

Do not miss out on this new feature from Big Idea and Veggie Tales!

You can find the Veggie Tales DVD wherever DVD’s are sold or purchase online HERE at Amazon.com

For more information about the Big Idea or Veggie Tales brand please visit www.veggietales.com

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Kidz Gear Headphones

Posted by html404 on March 11, 2013
in Fun Stuff, Music, Reviews, Technology/Electronics

Kidz Gear headphones are a line of headphones made just for kids. We’ve been testing out a pair for a few weeks now and we’ve come to the conclusion that they get two thumbs up from us! All of my kids have been using them for school and love them.

The volume and sound that the headphones give is adjustable so older kids can have a louder sound, while your younger child can still have a low sound. All while still giving off a high quality sound.

The overall quality of the headphones themself, is worth the $19.99, but in the hands of young children under eight, they are easily breakable. So we’d recommend that only older kids use these. Otherwise please do make sure that your children know that these headphones aren’t indestructible and may break if misused.

Special features include; a limited lifetime warranty, five colors (pink, orange, blue, green, and purple), and come with an audio control cable. They work with iPads, iPods, iPhones and many other audio devices.

We’ve tested them out on my daughter’s iPod, my iPhone, and our various laptops and they work great.

You can find Kidz Gear Headphones at gearforkidz.com

Oh and these headphones have a lifetime guarantee! If the headphones get broken, Kidz Gear will replace them for free! Bonus, eh?

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Monsters Inc 3D Review

Posted by html404 on February 19, 2013
in DVDs & CDs, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews

Monsters Inc 3D Review

Originally released in 2001, Monsters Inc. was proof once more than animation studios Pixar could do no wrong in the eyes of the public or the critics. Although ever so slightly less well-received than the likes of Toy Story and Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc. was still an instant box office smash, and is now as popular today with a new generation of children as it is nostalgic adults.

Joining the ranks of other Disney classics (Disney recently bought out Pixar Studios making it an official Disney franchise), Monsters Inc. is being given the 3D treatment, following in the footsteps of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. But is the 3D enhancement worth parting your cash for a
second time?

For anyone who didn’t see the film during its original release, a trip to the cinema is nothing short of a necessity. The hero James P. Sullivan (voiced by actor John Goodman) is a larger than life monster hero who must be seen to be believed. Sidekick Mike Wazowski (voiced by actor Billy Crystal), is a zany, funny little monster with a personality bigger than his tiny physique would suggest.

The city of Monstropolis is inspired, and the story is simple yet genius; a monster city which is powered by the screams of children. Only thing is, the children are a little more difficult to scare these days, and the monsters need an alternative power supply. Simple, compelling, hilarious and touching, cinema-goers that missed out the first time are lucky to be given the opportunity to watch a now modern classic piece of children’s cinema.

Those who already love the film and have from the beginning will no doubt appreciate a chance to take the kids to a cinematic showing, or to just relive the initial joy in an updated nostalgia fest. While the 3D does not enhance the film to any great extent, there are moments where the extra ticket price seems to justify itself. In particular, the climactic scene within the door factory is turned from brilliant into legendary with the addition of 3D.

With the new release the animations are touched up, made a little more vibrant, and given the new age treatment, meaning it essentially watches like a new film. Unlike The Lion King which at times appeared artificial with its 3D release (perhaps because it is a much older film), Monsters Inc. 3D seems brand new and shiny, giving you a fresh look at a much-treasured story.

This image was taken from the VUE Cinemas website.

This is a featured post by a guest writer.

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Celebrate with Clifford DVD Review

Posted by Professor on February 16, 2013
in DVDs & CDs, Family Stuff, Kids Stuff, Movies, TV Shows

Clifford the Big Red Dog: Celebrate with Clifford DVD Review!

Clifford celebrates 50 Big years!

Celebrate 50 years of big fun, big friendships and everyone’s favorite big red dog in seven party-packed Clifford tales! Whether it’s working as a team to put on the Fall Carnival, finding the perfect gift for a birthday party, or building a float for the Birdwell Parade, Clifford and his pals – Emily, Charley, Jetta and T-Bone discover that always following your heart and being yourself is the best way to be a BIG friend. Let’s get this party started!

Episodes on DVD include:

The Best Gift
Clifford’s Carnival
Clifford on Parade
Screaming for Ice Cream
Clifford the Pirate King
Team Spirit
Tough Enough
Plus 5 Bonus Speckle Stories

DVD Bonus Content (Bonus DVD inside)

8 additional episodes

The DVD is available in Stores and online NOW !

The DVD is available here at amazon.com

Our Review:

Clifford has always been a favorite in our house. My 9 year old still enjoys reading Clifford books to her younger siblings! What a wonderful event to celebrate Clifford with my children on DVD! We can now watch our favorite character come to life on television!

My children have watched the Clifford cartoon before, but are now enjoying more Clifford, more frequently since we received the DVD. The episodes are wonderful and always teach a lesson. My children love to see what trouble the characters will get in each episode. The children have had countless laughs watching this DVD.

I am sure you will be as pleased with the content of this new DVD as we were! Happy 50 years Clifford!

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Free Family Film Screening THE CROODS

Posted by html404 on February 14, 2013
in Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Humor, Kids Stuff, Movies

Looking for a family friendly movie to watch with all the children? If you haven’t seen THE CROODS trailer yet I highly suggest you check it out! It looks like it is going to be hilariously funny and great for the whole family! It’s an animated 20th Century Fox feature film due out in theaters in March.

To participate in a FREE family film screening THE CROODS, check out the two free movie screenings happening in the Chicago area at the following theater locations:

February 23, 2013
At ~~11:00 AM~~ 10:30 AM is the new time!
AMC South Barrington
175 Studio Dr.
South Barrington, IL
60010

March 2, 2013
At 11:00 AM
Kerasotes ICON
1011 South Delano Court East
Chicago, IL
60605

These free screenings are usually overbooked to ensure the theater is full and arriving early is highly recommended as seating is not guaranteed and is first-come, first-served.

If you and your family are interested visit the redemption website, GoFobo.com. Just create a free GoFobo account, and each account is allowed to redeem up to four passes to the THE CROODS screening. Maybe we’ll see you there!

LINK for Barringtion: https://www.gofobo.com/rsvp/promotion/1ea8a9a8b319e9084fea78da06bbc212

Update! Link for Chicago: https://www.gofobo.com/rsvp/promotion/52d26be646344c8845c580c578de31af

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Littlest Pet Shop: Little Pets, Big Adventures DVD Review

Posted by Professor on January 15, 2013
in DVDs & CDs, Kids Stuff, Movie Reviews, Movies, TV Shows

We have reviewed the Littlest Pet Shop Cartoon before…when it premiered on the HUB network … we are pleased to announce that Littlest Pet Shop has launched its first DVD Collection!

The DVD is entitled “Littlest Pet Shop: Little Pets, Big Adventures” and it is based on Hasbro’s popular Littlest Pet Shop brand and animated TV series. The DVD contains FIVE fun-filled episodes and captivating entertainment the whole family can enjoy. The DVD also features bonus content including coloring sheets, a “look behind the pet shop doors” featurette, and an offer for a virtual Collectible Pet on the Littlest Pet Shop App.

For those of you who have not seen the series … basically, Littlest Pet Shop is an animated half-hour comedy series that follows Blythe Baxter and her father as they move into a Big City apartment above the Littlest Pet Shop store (an amazing day-camp for pets of all kinds including a doggie diva, dancing gecko, a sweet adorable panda, and others. Her real adventure begins when she discovers that she alone can miraculously understand and talk to all of the pets. Blithe joins them on fantastical adventured that include uproarious songs-and-dance sequences featuring all-new original music by Daytime Emmy Award nominee Daniel Ingram and the vocal talent of Ashley Ball, Tabitha St. Germain, Nicole Oliver, and Peter New.

The Littlest Pet Shop Cartoon premiered on NOV 10^th on the HUB TV Network … but now the FUN is available on DVD for your enjoyment!

Episodes on DVD include:

Blythe’s Big Adventure ~ Parts 1 &2
Bad Hair Day
Gailbreak!
Penny For Your Laughs

DVD Bonus Content

“A Look Behind The Pet Shop Doors” featurette
Coloring Sheets

The DVD is available in Stores and online NOW ~ JANUARY 15^th!

Our Review:

My children absolutely ADORE Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop Products and Toys. So of course they were thrilled when the HUB TV network aired the cartoon series. Now they are overjoyed with a DVD that they can watch anytime they wish! As a mom I have to say that this is a great cartoon series. The characters are engaging and suitable for children…there are some cartoons out there that are inappropriate that I will not let my children watch …but this is NOT one of them! This is a delightful series about a young girl and pets. What I like is that even after the cartoon is over I find my children reenacting the episodes and imagining new adventures with their Littlest Pet Shop Toys and figures. I have three children, 2 girls ages 8 & 4 and a boy age 6…they ALL enjoy the series and the toys. Although honestly I have to say that my girls are more “into” Littlest Pet Shop than my son…but he will play along with them or watch the series and have just as much fun!

The thing we found exciting was that the DVD comes with a PET COLLECTOR Token. You just scan the token into the Littlest Pet Shop APP and collect a Virtual Pet. This is a very NEAT thing! My daughter just got a new tablet for Christmas and is ecstatic with her new Virtual Pet! The Littlest Pet Shop APP is free, but the Virtual Pets cost approximately 14.97… but remember you get a free one with the purchase of the DVD! The APP is available for both Apple and Android users.

You can find more out about the APP and download a copy here: http://www.hasbro.com/littlestpetshop/en_US/discover/news/lps_app.cfm

One other exciting thing is that on some of the DVD copies you may find a SAVE $5 coupon offer. The coupon states that you can save $5 when you buy any Hasbro Littlest Pet Shop toy and the DVD (coupon must be presented when purchase is made). This is a BONUS! I find that this is a great deal since Easter is just around the corner! What a great gift to give … a Littlest Pet Shop character to go along with the DVD!

Overall, we cannot say enough about the release of the DVD…my household is enjoying the product and will for years to come…

For more information about the Hasbro brand please visit: www.hasbro.com

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3 Last Minute Gift Ideas

Posted by html404 on December 18, 2012
in Books, DVDs & CDs, Ebooks, Gift Ideas, Holidays, Movies, Shopping, Uncategorized

I saw on Facebook today that someone still had to start their Christmas shopping! So for all of you out there that are still scrambling for last minute gift ideas…here you go!

1. DVDs.

DVDs are easy and for people who watch a lot of movies and who don’t like to rent them, but love to own them for their home DVD collection, this is a no brainer last minute gift idea.

Last week Ice Age Continental Drift became available on DVD Blue Ray (Dec. 11 to be exact). If you are looking for great last minute gift ideas for movie lovers, this could be one to consider.

Make it educational for your children by visiting this website here. For creationists, I cannot verify that it is evolution free.

Our children have enjoyed all of the Ice Age movies. They are funny, with a little bit of rude humor but they make us laugh and laughter is a good thing!

Crooked Arrow also came out on DVD not too long ago. It is for the sports enthusiast, especially lacrosse. It’s a touching story of how a young Native American man was drawn back to his culture through a game he loved and excelled at when he was younger, but not before making a few mistakes.

I enjoyed this movie very much but I’ve always been drawn to sports movies and especially ones that teach valuable life lessons.

2. Personalized Gifts.

From quilts to photos personalized gifts are always a winner. We have received personalized throws and quilts in the past and have appreciated them very much. Recently I was able to review an item that I got personalized with our names and anniversary on it. We have plenty of blankets but to be honest many of them are falling apart and just not pretty anymore. Nothing brightens a room more than a pretty throw or quilt.

I was very pleased with the quality of this quilt and the personalization was solid.

3. Books. Book lovers can never get enough books. Nowadays there are paperback or hardcover traditional books or digital formats to choose from. Make sure you know what your book lover prefers. At our house we all still prefer traditional books in our hands. Our girls talk about loving the smell of the books, which is missing from digital books.

No matter where you are in your Christmas shopping, choose a gift that is meaningful to the person receiving it. Sometimes in our haste we forget to put our hearts into gift giving.

Hope one of these 3 last minute gift ideas thrills one person on your list!

Happy Shopping!

Faith and Family Reviews received many of the above products in exchange for writing a review or feature about the product. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Daisy Red Ryder Plus a Giveaway #bb4me #cbias

Posted by html404 on December 14, 2012
in Contests, Family Stuff, Giveaways, Holidays, Movies

For the past few years our oldest son has been asking for a BB Gun, remember Ralphie asking for “the holy grail of Christmas gifts….Official Daisy Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!” in the movie, A Christmas Story? That may even have been what started our son’s desire for all we know! But we were very hesitant to buy one for him because of fear. Fear that he wouldn’t be responsible with it, fear he’d get hurt, or fear he’d shoot some other person’s eye out. Like the adults in the video clip below:

I had to share that clip!

We ended up using our son’s desire for a BB gun to motivate him with his school work. He got the BB gun for part of his 10th birthday gift at the beginning of this year and for accomplishing a milestone in school. Then we made him work for his BBs in the form of reading books! He also had to show us that he understood gun safety and could be responsible the BB gun.

However, that BB gun didn’t even last through the summer. We were very disappointed in the quality. Our son was disappointed not to have a BB gun anymore. We’ve wanted to replace it and finally did; just in time for holiday gifting. One of our family traditions is to get each of our children one larger gift, plus a few smaller ones, so we bought our son a Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun at Walmart for his larger gift. Silly me had to ask where I’d find BB Guns – Sporting Goods for those of you who draw a blank like I did – we found them just fine. The Daisy Red Ryder was actually on sale too – bonus!

The new gun is bigger than our son’s first BB gun, which I think he’ll like. But Daisy Outdoor Products seem better made. This gun is made of wood and metal not plastic. If Daisy Red Ryder has been around for nearly 30 years, surely it will be durable enough to last a young boy’s love of shooting it. He’ll be so surprised as he’s not expecting it! I can’t wait to see his face.

Gun Safety

Gun Safety is very important and since it has been several months since our son has used a BB Gun, we will be going over safety issues again. We even bought him safety glasses. Here are a couple important ones to remember:

Guns not in use should always be unloaded.
Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Learn more about gun safety.

The new BB gun will create lots of outdoor family activities as we watch our son improve his markmanship ability. Fun for our whole family. Now your family can enter to win a Daisy Red Ryder!

Daisy Ryder Giveaway

To enter to win a Daisy Prize Pack that includes either a Daisy Red Ryder or a Pink Carbine Model 1998 (your choice), BBs, and safety glasses, fill in the Rafflecopter below…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 Daisy. #CBias #SocialFabric

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Pet Movies & Diary of a Wimpy Kid Giveaway

Posted by html404 on December 14, 2012
in Animals, Contests, DVDs & CDs, Giveaways, Movies

Everybody’s favorite wimp, Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon), is back for three times the fun in the latest film based on the super-popular book series! When Greg’s dad (Steve Zahn) threatens to send him to military school if he doesn’t stay out of trouble, Greg finds all-new ways to land himself in the doghouse! For starters, Greg’s in over his head when he pretends to work at the swanky country club where Rowley’s family has a membership. Things don’t go much better on a father-son camping trip with the Wilderness Explorers, and then there’s the Heffley’s new dog, Sweetie, who fetches even more trouble for Greg in this hilarious family film!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days will be available for sale on Monday, December 18.

Most Mischievous Movie Pets

Sweetie is lovable but, at times, completely devious! In addition to Sweetie, here are some more of the most mischievous movie pets including everyone’s favorite lasagna lover, Garfield and canine icon, Marmaduke.

Beethoven

Most people don’t know that in real life, Beethoven’s real name is Chris. He was owned and trained by Karl Lewis Miller who also trained animals for Cujo, K-9, Babe, and many others infamous animal flicks.

Garfield

From 1982 to 1991, twelve primetime Garfield cartoon specials and one hour-long primetime documentary celebrating the character’s 10th anniversary were aired but the first film about the clever feline created in 1978, did not come out until 2004.

Marley, Marley & Me

Because the film covers 14 years in the life of Marley, 22 different Yellow Labradors played the part alongside Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston, who continuously try to maintain their marriage and family despite Marley’s opposing ambitions.

Marmaduke

Owen Wilson lent his voice to the oversized-but-loveable pooch who moves to a new neighborhood with his family, where he proceeds to – accidentally – wreak havoc.

Hooch, Turner and Hooch

Before he was a two-time Oscar winner and beloved film icon, Tom Hanks was a detective trying to solve crime, while guarding his star witness, a large and slobbery Dogue de Bordeaux named Hooch.

Beast, AKA Hercules, The Sandlot

Hercules, known to the neighborhood kids as “the beast,” is an English Mastiff with a penchant for hoarding lost baseballs. After five failed rescue attempts for one very special ball, it turns out all the kids had to do was ask the owner, and suffer the affectionate slobbering of a very big dog.

Sweetie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

When Sweetie the Labradoodle first comes to the Heffley house, Greg wants to give him a legitimate name like ‘Ripjaw’ or ‘Shredder’ but Susan thinks them too violent and opts for something more her taste.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Review

We thought Diary of a Wimpy Kid was really funny. The facial expressions of the actors are hilarious. Of course parental guidance is strongly suggested as DOWK is usually full of rude humor. As much as we try to curb rude behavior at home it still comes out and movies with rude humor usually only encourage our kids to do it more, unfortunately. I don’t know about yours. I started watched DOWK with my husband but because of the laughter heard from our bedroom where we were watching it, most of children ended up on the bed with us about midway through! We did end up shooing them out before it ended either due to their noise (our Dell laptop has awful sound :()

For more conservative readers, there are pool scenes with bikinis and some boy/girl conversation, just so you are forewarned.

The underlying story between Greg and his dad is sure to resonate among many families.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Giveaway

If you are a movie loving reader or just haven’t seen this movie we are giving away 2 copies of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days! Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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FREE Movie Screening Chicago for Parental Guidance

Posted by html404 on December 13, 2012
in Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Movies

This is last minute notice but we have a movie screening Chicago opportunity. Those of you in the Chicago area have the chance to attend a FREE movie screening for Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei and Billy Crystal’s new movie, Parental Guidance (Rated PG)! Looks funny!