WILSON JONES FACEBOOK SWEEPSTAKES - ENTER TODAY!

Back to School shopping is in full force in my household.  We have less than 2 weeks til my kiddos head back so I have been loving the Back to School sales and sweepstakes.  Right now, Wilson Jones has a great one going on.  

I picked the light blue binder!  It is simple to enter and only takes like a few seconds so go enter today for your chance to win.  After you enter this sweepstakes ( Just click the image above ) , keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming review and giveaway of awesome Wilson Jones products just in time for Back to School!!!!

* I received no compensation for sharing the above information.  I will be receiving review products though for a later post.

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT with OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL blu-ray review

* I received the below mentioned product solely for review purposes.  The below mentioned opinions are completely honest and completely my own.

Disney’s fantastical adventure Oz The Great And Powerful, from the director of the Spider-Man trilogy,follows Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics. When Diggs is hurled away to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot — until he meets three witches (Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams), who aren’t convinced he’s the great wizard everyone’s expecting. Reluctantly drawn into epic problems facing Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it’s too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity — and even some wizardry — Oscar transforms himself into the great wizard and a better man as well.   

MY THOUGHTS

With everything that has been going on with my family lately, it was really nice to sit down and watch a Disney family movie.  Now I have a confession, I was never a big fan of the Original Wizard of Oz growing up.  I honestly really do not know why I never cared for it, but I always thought it was a classic regardless.  As I got older, I like the Wizard of Oz more, but still not as much as others or most.  SO I was curious to see how  Oz The Great and Powerful would favor with me.

I have to say I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and finding out how Oz came to be.  My kiddos really liked the special effects and graphics.  I have to agree with them.  The movie had amazing colors that were so vibrant!  And as you may know from my other reviews, I am a sucker for a vibrant color movie.  

The movie did leave me with a few questions unanswered and I wondered if that was intentional or not.  I won't give away what my questions are just to keep from spoiling the movie for those who have not seen it.  

I have to say I love the way the movie shows how things came to be and enjoyed it.  I personally think the "witches" did an amazing job  especially the Wicked Witch of the West!  I actually loved her in this movie and was probably my favorite character ironically enough.

The blu-ray/dvd is available now nationwide where dvds are sold and at online retailers like Amazon for $ 27.98.  I think it is a great family movie that everyone can enjoy and I recommend adding it to your movie collection.

SCIENCE X - NATURE'S ENERGY kit review

* I received the below mentioned product solely for review purposes.  The below mentioned opinions are completely honest and completely my own.

How do we get energy from water? How can we use the power of wind? How is sunlight turned into heat? Delve into the world of creating cleaner energy through natural resources and become a renewable energy engineer with these intriguing activities for little scientists ages 10 and up. Let your kid discover the world - with Science X® from Ravensburger!

Build a sail-car!

Utilize hydropower!

Discover Nature's Energy! 
With 25 different activities to faciliate learning about the origins of wind power, solar energy and more, this science kit puts the whole world into the hands of kids to explore. Young scientist can discover the power of water, create a homemade water cycle, understand how water cycles run in nature and how we use the power of water to gain energy. Wind plants supply many households with energy these days. Kids can explore wind power through different projects and create a sail-car, wind wheel or windmill. Various activities explain how sun power is being used to produce heat, to tell the time through sundials or to extract salt from water. Science X® Nature's Energy provides interesting and scientific facts about the power of nature and helps kids understand the fascinating world of environmental energies and how they're being used in our daily life!

It's Fun to be a Scientist!
Science X® kits from Ravensburger help children ages 8 and up understand everyday phenomena by letting them test things out scientifically on their own, and are accompanied by explanations and lots of interesting facts. Science X® Nature's Energy includes 25 exciting activities with success guarantee, designed by experts and tested by kids! These activities focus on answering children’s questions about nature and technology. With the help of Science X®, young discoverers learn how to tackle the mysteries of everyday life and beyond. Fascinating background information makes learning fun and easy-to-use materials with richly illustrated manuals encourage kids to become active scientific explorers!

Explore Nature's Energies with 25 Amazing Activities
Water: Create a water cycle, discover the power of water, build a water wheel and water turbine. Wind: Build a cup anemometer to measure wind, build a sail-car, discover the power of centrifugal forces, create a floating wing, wind wheel, windmill and Savonius Rotor. Sun: Learn how to use a solar disc to analyze sunlight, build a sundial, create a finger heater, build your own frying funnel to fry marshmallows, learn about the greenhouse effect, build a sun power plant, produce biogas, analyze plant lightning, produce oil and understand how a sun-mill works.

What's In The Box?
1 Car Chassis Panel, 1 Frying Funnel, 1 Water Wheel, 1 Solar Disc, 1 Water Cycle Model, 1 Plant Marker, 1 Sundial, 1 Finger Heater, 11 Straws, 1 Rubber Band, 2 Brass Fasteners, 1 Hand-Heated Wind Wheel, 5 Bendable Straws, 1 Paper Windmill, 5 Wooden Sticks, 1 Piece of Chalk, 1 Paper Filter, 1 Glass Marble, 4 Plastic Containers, 1 Paper Wing, 3 Beads, 3 Packets of String, Detailed Instruction Manual 

MY THOUGHTS

When my kiddos are out of school, sometimes it does not take long before I hear the famous phrase, " I'm bored!"  So I am always looking for arts and crafts projects for them especially those that are educational too.  I was recently able to review one of the kits from Ravensburger Science X line - Nature's Energy.

One of the great thing about the kit is that it has the instructions for 25 activities.  Now it does require some additional items to complete the activities.  Most of the additional items are things you can find everyday around the house though.  

Now my son loves science and loves hands on activities surrounding science so I knew the kit would be a big hit with him for sure.  Since there are 25 activities, we have not completed them all yet.  We have built a sail-car though and my kiddos loved it.  It was pretty simple to put together.  Most of the activities seem to be pretty simple to put together although parental help is definitely needed to complete the activities.  

I definitely recommend these kits for anyone with a Science loving kiddo and would be great for homeschooled kiddos as well.  There are several more Science X kits available in addition to the Nature's Energy one like a Crime Scene one ( which I am interested in as well ).  You can purchase the above kit at Amazon right now for $ 28.99.  So grab a kit for the Science fan in your life!

STYLE ME UP - NEEDLEPOINT JEWELRY kit review

* I received the below mentioned product solely for review purposes.  The below opinions are completely honest and completely my own.

Needlepoint Jewelery

Use needlepoint crafting technique to create personalized pendants!

Contains: 
• 3 wooden base pendants
• 4 colors of cotton thread
• 2 colors of metal chain
• 2 buttons & 3 jump rings
• 2 metallic needles with a threader
• Color instructions

MY THOUGHTS 

My two daughters are just like me and LOVE jewelry!  We also love to make things together and are huge Arts and Crafts fans!  So we were super excited to get the opportunity to review another Style Me Up kit especially one that features my beloved OWL!  

The kit comes with complete instructions and all the supplies to make three necklaces - an owl, initials, and another bird.  Now my daughters are 6 and 7 so they are a little young to do this all by their self so I gladly helped out.  If you have done needlepoint before then this should be pretty straightforward.  

I loved that the kit comes with everything you need to complete it.  That just makes things so much simpler in my opinion.  Now overall the necklaces were pretty simple to complete although the initial necklace was a little more complex since they were different than the ones pictured.  After I figured out the layout, it was pretty simple to complete.  I really loved how the necklaces turned out and will include a picture as soon as I can get taken ( need to get a new memory card ) and put on here so you can see my actual finished project.

I highly recommend this kit for any Arts and Crafts fan especially one who loves to make unique and chunky jewelry pieces.  It would be great for tweens and teens, but younger kiddos can do it with supervision of course.  You can purchase the kit right now on Amazon for $ 10.26.  Which is a great price for 3 beautiful necklaces!

AQUARELLE - MINI HORSE PAINT set kit review

* I received the below mentioned product solely for review purposes.  The below mentioned opinions are completely honest and completely my own.

Simple and unique watercolor painting technique Create perfect works of art every time! Each canvas comes pre-printed with the unique Aquarelle outline The outline prevents the paint from running and when the canvas dries, adds detail to your artwork Mix the special liquid watercolor inks following the color chart, or invent your own for even greater creativity

More product information : Getting creative could not be easier! Aquarelle is a brand new watercolor craft concept, which is simple yet extremely effective. The technique helps you create perfect works of art – every time. The watercolor canvas is pre-printed with a thin white wax outline, which acts as a guide for the picture and prevents the colors from "running". Once you've completed your design, the wax design becomes a perfect white outline, showing all the detail in your painting. The unique liquid watercolor ink allows you to mix just about any color you can dream of. Either the follow the color guide included in the box, or if you are feeling really creative, you can always mix up your own blend of colors. • Winner of Best Creative Product at Olympia Toy Fair 2012 • Unique printed boards ensure image outlines remain “clean” to give that special watercolor “look” • Mix the inks following the color chart, or invent your own for even greater creativity • Ideal for ages 8+

MY THOUGHTS

All 3 of my children love to paint just like me especially my two daughters.  Usually we just buy our paint and coloring sheets separately instead of doing the paint by number kits.  Of course Aquarelle is different from most paint by number kits in the fact that you actually get to make your own colors ( which was really cool to my daughter).  The other way it is different is that you don't actually have to follow the color scheme on the box.  You can make the colors lighter or darker to suit your own liking.

I helped my oldest daughter to mix the colors just to keep from over mixing or making a mess.  Painting was really easy for her and if she did happen to go over the outline, no problem.  The outline was coated in wax so it kept the painting looking crisp and clean even with accidents.  The picture turned out amazing and my daughter was super excited with it.  It actually looked exactly like the one on the box !

Another thing I noticed with the kit is we had a lot of paint left over that I saved for future projects.  This is perfect since you can mix your own colors. I definitely recommend the kits for any paint lover especially kids.  They have different size kits and also have several images available to paint.  You can see the different images on the Ravensburger website.

ORIENTAL TRADING presents CELEBRATING OUR INDEPENDENCE featuring some INTERESTING FACT & IDEAS! CHECK IT OUT!

4th of July Infographic by Oriental Trading Co.

Thanks to Oriental Trading for this great and interesting information!

KUNG FU PANDA : LEGENDS OF AWESOMENESS - GOOD CROC, BAD CROC dvd review

* The below mentioned product was received solely for review purposes.  The below opinions are completely my own and completely honest.

Brace yourself for awesome action and legendary laughs in this fun-filled animated TV series based on the Academy Award-Nominated hit movie Kung Fu Panda! As the chosen Dragon Warrior and sworn protector of the Valley of Peace, Po the panda is highly skilled, ever vigilant and hungry for justice...and dumplings. Together with the Furious Five - Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Crane and Viper - Po must fend off fierce villains, including an evil version of himself (courtesy of the Mystical Mirror of Yin and Yang) and the toothy Croc Bandits!




MY THOUGHTS

My whole family is a huge fan of Kung Fu Panda so when we received the Legends of Awesomeness dvd, we were all thrilled.  We have loved Po since the very first movie and love him more each movie.  

The dvd has over 2 hours of Kung Fu goodness which of course means nonstop laughter.  It also features all of your favorite characters like the Furious Five ( my fav is Tigress).  My kiddos really liked the episode where Po has to fight himself, well an evil version of himself.  They laughed through the whole thing.

I have to say if you are a huge fan or have a huge fan of Kung Fu Panda then they will both love the Kung Fu Panda's latest dvd which features all the goodness of the original.  The dvd is available nationwide where dvds are sold and also at online retailers like Amazon.com for $ 12.73 which is a great price!    So grab some dumplings and a copy of Legends of Awesomeness today and enjoy it with the whole family!

The OFFICIAL TRAILER for DELIVERY MAN!!!!

In the film, Vince Vaughn plays an affable underachiever looking for his purpose in life, when he finds out he’s fathered 533 children through anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years ago. Now he must decide whether or not to come forward when 142 of them want to meet their biological father.

I am really excited to see this movie for several reasons.  For starters, it has Vince Vaughn in it ( who I love and adore ).  Next it is about a man who had 533 kids!  I mean I have 3 beautiful miracles of my own and well they each have their very own personalities and attitudes, but each has traits of me.  I mean could you imagine the holiday dinners with 533 kids!

Now I was lucky enough to see an advanced copy of the trailer before its release today along with 532 other bloggers ( all of which are posting it live today for your first chance to see it!  Pretty exciting!!!).  I have to say I can totally understand where Vince 's character is coming from about getting meaning from his kids.  I feel the same way with my 3.  They make me a better person and they make my life so much better and because of them, I did do something great!

Now after seeing this trailer, I want to see this movie even more so without further ado...  The OFFICIAL 1st TRAILER of DELIVERY MAN!  Enjoy!

MUNCHKIN'S LIGHT MY WAY PORTABLE OWL NIGHT LIGHT review

* I received the below mentioned product solely for review purposes.  The below mentioned opinions are completely honest and completely my own.

A portable nightlight in the shape of a friendly owl helps light the way for your little one during bedtime, treks to the potty, or scary dreams. Designed with little hands in mind, the light my way nightlight features an easy-grasp handle for portability and one-button operation for ease of use. Also great for nighttime check-ins and changes. 100% battery operated so there are no cords or charging stations near your little one. 2 plus years.

MY THOUGHTS

First I have to say, this night light is so STINKIN CUTE!  I am among what seems like millions who are in love with owls and that love has rubbed off onto my two daughters ( my youngest is actually having an owl party next month! Yeah Me!)  

Immediately out of the box, we were all in love with it.  We could not wait to try it out so of course we rushed into the bathroom and shut the door.  I have to admit I was surprised at how bright he glowed.  The girls were so excited when night came to try it out officially.  It worked beautifully for them to find their way to the potty in the middle of the night.  Of course another great feature is that it is not too bright that I can turn it on to check on them without waking them.  It can also be used on camping trips during summer vacation!!!

Also the light does not get too hot for touch so there is no fear of burning a little one.  It is has a   handle that fits perfectly for little hands and also works for adults too.  I highly recommend this portable night light for anyone with a little one especially one who loves owls like mine.  It is also really great for kids who are potty training so they can find their way at night.

The portable night light is available now for sale on the Munchkin website for $ 16.99 so be sure to grab one today.  It is definitely a great addition to our household!