Happy 110th Birthday Crayola!

To celebrate their 110th birthday, the 8 original crayons are throwing a birthday bash at the new fun-omenal Crayola Experience, the world's only interactive Crayola family attraction. Right now, they're out on a colorful adventure to spread the news, and you're invited to join the fun!

How can you join in on the fun? You can FOLLOW the crayons on their adventure, LEARN more about each color and enter to WIN a trip for 4 to celebrate their birthday and the Grand Opening of the all new Crayola Experience this coming May, 2013!

Visit the Crayola Facebook page and click "enter now" for your chance to be first in line when the Crayola Experience reopens.

The new Crayola Experience features four floors of new interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind attractions that will bring the magic of color and your child's creativity to life! The winner will be among the first to experience the fun, along with a three- night, all-expenses paid stay. It's an experience your kids will never forget - and neither will you!

Crayola supplied the image and information for this post.

#DittyBopGame Review

DittyBop is a free music app that is available through iTunes.  First, you have to fill out your information and choose a character from one of these four:

Create a new session and choose your opponent.  You can search for a specific username, connect your DittyBop account with your Facebook account and play against a Facebook friend or you can choose a random opponent.  You even get to pick which genre you would like to start with.  You can choose from hot pop to Latin hits to oldies and more. 

The important rule to remember is that no words are allowed.  You must hum, whistle, beat box, etc.  Then you send it and see if they can guess correctly.  It's a great way to pass some time!   I love listening to and singing along with music.  This is a fun twist that is sure to entertain families everywhere.  If you hum a song particularly well, you can even share it on Facebook right from the app.  How cool is that?  What are you waiting for?  Download your copy and get your DittyBop on!

Get social with DittyBop on Facebook and Twitter.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of DittyBop. Thank you to Business 2 Blogger for introducing us. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Earth Day Activities Inspired by #WingsofLife

Earth Day is April 22nd and Wings of Life wants to celebrate by sharing fun activities to do with the kids.

Disclosure: I did not receive any form of compensation for this post. Images and information was provided by Click Communications.

The Muppets: Fun Activities

Disclosure: I did not receive any form of compensation for this post.

Review: The Littlest Angel on DVD

It’s a modern twist on the timeless tale of an Angel that discovers the greatest gifts in life are faith, friendship and doing the right thing. This new version of The Littlest Angel features wonderful animation and great vocal talent, including Ron Perlman (“Beauty and The Beast,” Tangled), and is sure to become a holiday favorite, much like the book it’s based on. The Littlest Angel is a motion picture that will put a smile on everyone’s face, and what better gift is there than that.

The Littliest Angel shows children what is really important in life.  It teaches valuable information about being a true friend, living you life right and having faith.  It's a really great movie and I wish that there were more like it. 


Buy it: The Littlest Angel on DVD

Print off some coloring pages for your kids.

The item reviewed was being provided by the company or public relations agency. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Holiday Gift Guide Review & Giveaway: Veggie Tales: Little Drummer Boy

In this Veggie-version of a holiday classic, Junior Asparagus stars as The Little Drummer Boy, a lonely child who finds the true meaning of Christmas when he stumbles upon the birth of the baby Jesus. A story of generosity, hope and love, this timeless tale will warm the hearts of children everywhere!

Bonus Features:

• Audio Commentary
• “The Little Drummer Boy” Music Video
• Sing-Along Songs—“The 8 Polish Foods of Christmas” and “Can’t Smile Without Ewe”
• Behind the Music of “The Little Drummer Boy”
• Visit a Drum Factory with Junior
• Family Activity—Make Your Own Drum
• Interactive Book Preview—Christmas Is Finally Here

I love the Veggie Tales movie.  I can still remember the first time I watched one.  I was eight years old and at my friend Taylor's house.  I had never heard of Veggie Tales but I was so engrossed in the show that as soon as I got home, I had to tell my mom all what I had seen.  I've been a fan ever since.

Veggie Tales: Little Drummer Boy was just as fantastic as I had imagined.  It has a fun holiday film with a great message.  Veggie Tales does a great job of teaching children meaningful lessons in a way that they can understand and enjoy.  My favorite feature on this DVD is the Sing-Along Songs.  Watching kids sing along, having a good time puts a big smile on my face.  Plus, it includes instructions on how to make your own drum which is a great activity for children and parents to do together.

Visit the Veggie Tales website and check out all of the activities, like this match game:

Veggie Tales: The Little Drummer Boy would make a great gift for the holidays.  You can purchase a copy here.

The item reviewed and being given away are being provided by the public relations agency.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Holiday Gift Guide Idea: Cars 2

If you have kids then I'm sure you have heard them talking non-stop about Cars 2.  I actually saw this movie in the theater and you welcome to check out my review.  It's a great movie and one that the entire family can enjoy. To celebrate the release of Cars 2 on DVD and Blu-ray, take advantage of this $5 off coupon that will only last this week. Plus, feel free to check out the free Road Games which are sure to get your child all kinds of excited!

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Halloween Goodies

A Recipe:

A Puzzle:

Find Your Way:

Pumpkin Carving:

Cars 2 Bonus Clip And Print & Play Activity

"Getting Behind the Wheel" Bonus Clip

Print & Play Activity

Remember, Cars 2 goes on sale November 1st!

Save $5 When You Buy Winnie The Pooh on Blu-ray or DVD

I have some goodies for you Winnie the Pooh fans!  First, I would like to share a very cool coupon with you:

Second, I would like to share this bonus clip:

And, last but not least, a cool drawing activity for the kiddies:

I did not receive any form of compensation for this post.

Cars 2 Activity #15: Whitewall Tire Cookies

YOU'LL NEED:
• Sugar cookie dough
• Rolling pin
• Flour
• Wax paper
• Round cookie or fondant cutters (2¼,
1½, and 5/8 inches)*
• Baking sheet
• Cooling rack
• White ready-to-use fondant (look in the
baking aisle of grocery, department, or
craft stores)
• Plastic kitchen gloves (for kneading food
coloring into the fondant)
• Black food coloring
• Confectioner's sugar
• Small tube of decorator's icing
* You can buy a set of three round fondant cutters for under $3 in the cake decorating aisle at craft and department stores.

Cars 2 Activity #10: Tow Mater Cookie Treats

YOU'LL NEED:
• Template for Tow Mater Cookies
• Sugar cookie dough
• Rolling pin
• Flour
• Wax paper
• Baking sheet
• Cooling rack
• Marshmallows
• Confectioner's sugar
• Kitchen knife
• Decorator's icing
• Tootsie Roll candies
• Green Dots candies
• Chocolate Chips
• Yellow hard candies
• Gummy Life Savers

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Print the template and cut out the pieces.
2. Roll the cookie dough out to ¼-inch thickness on a flour-dusted sheet of wax paper. For each
cookie, use the template pieces as a pattern to cut a tow truck body, a front bumper, and a side
view mirror bar from the dough. Bake and cool the cookie pieces according to the recipe
directions.
3. For each tow truck, place a marshmallow on a piece of wax paper dusted with confectioner's
sugar and use a rolling pin to roll it as thin as possible. Then use the template pieces to cut out a
marshmallow windshield and two marshmallow teeth.
4. Likewise, roll flat the Tootsie Roll candies (if the candy is too stiff, you can microwave it for up to
5 seconds to soften it). Use the template pieces to cut out a candy mouth and windshield trim for
each cookie.
5. To assemble each Tow Mater treat, first use dabs of decorator icing to stick the windshield and
mouth pieces in place. Then top the windshield with the trim piece. For eyes, slice two circle
shapes from a green Dots candy. Then press a chocolate chip, tip down, into the center of each
circle. Use dabs of frosting to hold the eyes in place atop the windshield. Next, stick the teeth
atop the mouth. Add a yellow hard candy for a "shining" headlight and a Gummy Life Saver for a
broken headlight.
6. Use decorator's icing to attach a front bumper to each truck. Then stick the side view mirror bar
to the back of the cookie so that the ends extend beyond the cab above the headlights. For
mirrors, slice another Tootsie Roll in half vertically and stick one halve to each end of the mirror
bar.

Cars 2 Activity #3: Tube Racers

YOU'LL NEED:
1. Toilet paper tube
2. Acrylic paint
3. Scissors
4. Hole puncher
5. Black craft foam
6. Aluminum foil
7. Glue
8. Paper for decorations (optional)
9. Small paper fasteners

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Coat the tube with acrylic paint.
2. When it's dry, mark the location of the cockpit, steering wheel, and wheels as shown.
3. Snip out the cockpit and punch holes at the wheel and steering wheel marks. Fold the steering wheel flap down and the other flap up to serve as a seat back.
4. Cut 4 wheels (about the size of the toilet tube ends) and a quarter-sized steering wheel out of black craft foam.
5. Cut 4 quarter-size hubcaps out of aluminum foil. Punch holes in the centers of all the circles. Glue the hubcaps onto the wheels and decorate the steering wheel with foil accents.
6. Give your mean machine a custom paint job; we glued on paper decorations and added numbers as well.
7. When you're ready to roll, attach the wheels and steering wheel to the tube with small paper fasteners.
Start your engines!

Cars 2 Activity #2: Soap Box Dragsters

YOU’LL NEED:
- A box from a bar of soap
- Colored plastic tape
- Small number stickers
- Sharpened pencil
- Two 5-inch lengths of wooden skewer

- White glue
- Four 1-inch wooden beads with 1/8-inch holes
- Cylindrical balloon
- Bendable drinking straw

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Powered by a blast of air, these little racers can really move, making a clean getaway as soon as
you set them down!
2. Kids can assemble a bunch, then host their own mini derby.
3. For each racer, decorate a soap box with colored-tape racing stripes and stick-on numbers.
4. Next, use the pencil tip to poke 2 axle holes on each side of the box, ¼ inch from each end and
¼ inch up from the bottom. Push a skewer section through each set of holes.
5. For wheels, glue beads onto the ends of the axles, then let the glue dry.
6. Blow up the balloon a couple of times to stretch it out, and stick the bendy end of the straw into
the neck.
7. Use tape to seal the balloon to the straw, then tape the straw to the top of the box.
8. To set your vehicle in motion, inflate the balloon through the straw, then pinch the end, set the
car on a hard surface, and let it go!