Win tickets and Join us @DisneyonIce Rockin' Ever After

Disney on Ice Rockin' Ever After is coming to Toronto during the March Break from March 13 to 17, 2013.  This all new live production has a cast of fabulous Disney skaters that will bring our favourite moments from Disney Pixar's Brave, Tangled, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast through a musical showcase.

Jam to a Scottish jig as a group of royal contenders from the latest Disney Pixar film, Brave, competes to win the heart of headstrong, sharp-shooting Merida, making her ice debut! 

Experience a show-stopping performance as Sebastian breaks out of his shell for one night only to make waves with Ariel.  

A chorus of harmless hooligans from Tangled unleashes musical mayhem when they get a visit from the sassy and spirited Rapunzel and her charming ally Flynn.  

And, get your feet moving as the Beast and his castle's enchanted entourage take center stage in a spectacular show for Belle.

It will be a rockin' remix of royalty when Disney On Ice brings this superstar line-up to your hometown!

Offer:

Use the promo code DLKIDDO (on the box for "promotions" not on the family pack box) to get 4 tickets for $104.  This code is valid now thru Jan 13.  

Maximum of 4 tickets each ticket thereafter each ticket is $26.  

This offer is not valid for front row or VIP seating.  No double discounts.  Additional fees may apply.

Children under 2 years do not need tickets.

Giveaway: 

Win a maximum of 6 tickets for the opening day performance by entering through the rafflecopter below. Giveaway is open until Feb 16, 2013 to people in Toronto or those who can attend. Winner must follow all my social media networks and leave a comment on this post. The winner has 24 hours to respond from the time of contact to claim the prize. Update: The winner is Shannon

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Cinderella II & III Limited time 2 movie collection for Princesses

Cinderella II & III will be available on November 20th for a limited time on blu-ray combo pack, DVD and Digital with bonus features such as how a girl can become a princess by going to "princess school" and "put it together" music video.  Our favourite characters return with double the magic and memorable music.  This would make a perfect holiday gift to any of our princesses :)  These two movies are fun for the whole family and we enjoyed watching them.

Cinderella II Dreams Come True is about Cinderella's life as a newly crowned princess.  Cinderella learns that life at the Palace is more challenging than she had imagined.  Cinderella calls on her animal friends and Fairy Godmother for help as she discovers that being true to yourself is the best way to make dreams come true.

Cinderella III A Twist In Time Special Edition is about Princess Cinderella's stepmother getting her hands on Fairy Godmother's magic wand.  Cinderella's stepmother puts a wicked spell that turns back the clock and erases the Prince's memories of the girl he met at the ball and shatters Cinderella's happily ever after.  Jaq and Gus help Cinderella.  Watch to see if true love will triumph :)

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We met Phineas and Ferb before the upcoming DisneyLive tour

We met Phineas, Ferb and some of the performing team members at a fabulous event, my children and I went to.   

We can't wait for the Live Tour that will be held in Toronto from Friday January 11 to Sunday the 13th at the Rogers Centre.  Phineas and Ferb Live Tour will be held in many cities accross Canada and US, so be sure to check when they will be in your town.

During this special event, my children and I enjoyed a child-friendly dinner and had cupcakes for dessert.  
Then the kids got into action with a scientist to make goo in their choice of colour and saw some cool experiments.  

My children also enjoyed warming up and dancing with Phineas, Ferb and the team.  We got autographed pictures that will be cherished.  

Enter for a chance to win a maximum of six tickets in this linked post to see the Live show at the Rogers Centre in Toronto before November 20th.

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Disney On Ice: Worlds of Fantasy giveaway

Worlds of Fantasy Disney on Ice is coming to Toronto from December 21st to 30th at the Rogers Centre.  In this performance we will get to see four of our favourite Disney stories.  Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew of Disney/Pixar's Cars.  Little Mermaid, Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies will be doing their wonders.  The characters of Toy Story will be there as well.  We are excited and are looking forward to watch the dazzling skating, special effects and our favourite characters.

Follow Disney on Ice Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date about the show.

Offer
Use the promo code DLKIDDO (on the box for "promotions" not on the family pack box) to get 4 tickets for $104.  This code is valid now thru Jan 13.  Maximum of 4 tickets each ticket thereafter is $26 each.  
This offer is not valid for front row or VIP seating.  No double discounts.  Additional fees may apply.
Children under 2 years do not need tickets.

Giveaway
If you would like win tickets to watch the shows on Dec 21st, 26th, 27th or 28th matinee show, please enter through the rafflecopter below.  Please let me know how many tickets you will need in the comment below and if you are in Toronto or will be coming to Toronto.  The giveaway ends on November 20th.
Update: The winner is Nelia Toronto chic

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Secret of the Wings

We are excited Secret of the Wings is coming on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital release on October 23rd.
This fairy adventure will be enjoyed by the whole family as Tinker Bell and friends go into the never before seen mysterious Winter Woods.  Tinker Bell finds out that she has a sister discovers secrets that will change her life.
Some fun facts and quotes about sisters on the link below.

Tips for our garden from Tinker Bell's close friend Rosetta a garden fairy, whose talent is to nurture plants and flowers.
* Collect seeds from flowers and keep them safe for next planting year.
* Notice the beautiful vibrant leaves of fall, collect the leaves and petal of flowers and save it between pieces of paper and keep it under heavy books to make flower press, which would be beautiful in crafts and cards.
* Make a compost pile with the help of an adult.

Some Fall Facts
* When Autumn or Fall gets closer the chlorophyll found in plants are no longer needed and is discarded.  The Chlorophyll keeps plants green and when it is not there other colours emerge such as red, orange and yellow leaves.
* When leaves fall and decompose they release minerals back into the earth and provide nutrition to the trees.
* Nuts and seeds that become available during fall will be collected by animals such as squirrels to prepare for hibernating.

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People like us movie giveaway

People like us is brought from the same studio as "The Help".  This inspirational story about family reconnections and life's changes are starred by Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde and Michelle Pfeiffer.
It is about a young man, Sam's journey of self discovery as he connects with a family he barely knows.  This twenty something fast talking salesman's latest deal collapses the day he learns his father has suddenly passed away.  Against Sam's wish he is called home to put his father's estate in order and reconnect with his estranged family.  He discovers a thirty year old sister and her son that he didn't know existed.  This true life events inspired movie is heartfelt and relatable.  This PG movie is on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital and On demand with fun to watch extended scenes.

Giveaway
If you would like to win a combo pack please enter through the rafflecopter below.
Giveaway ends on October 15th and is open to people in Canada and US.
Update: The winner is Kevin
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Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3, Viva La Fiesta! is releasing on blu-ray combo pack, DVD and Digital on September 18, 2012.  
Everyone's favourite talking Chihuahuas Papi (voice of George Lopez) and Chole (voice of Odette Annable) joined by their five playful pups in a fun filled family comedy.  It's canine chaos as the Cortez family members, humans and dogs move into the posh Langham hotel, which has all the services including a complete luxurious doggy spa.  
The movie brings out the importance of family, friends and teamwork making it lots of fun to watch.

We enjoyed watching the bonus features; "Hanging with Papi," which is a playful look at the typical day on set with Papi.  The English and Spanish versions of the song "Living your dreams" music video was lots of fun. 

We enjoy watching these types of creative Disney movies as it is well thought out and detailed.  Do check out this cute funny movie that will be available on blu-ray combo pack and DVD on the 18th.
Here is a link to the trailer.

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Disneynature Chimpanzee giveaway

Disneynature Chimpanzee is on Blu-ray combo pack, digital and on-demand from August 21st. This unforgettable and heartwarming adventure of Oscar, a young chimpanzee will be enjoyed by everyone in the family.  This true story is beautifully filmed showing the life of this curious chimpanzee.  The film is taken in the depths of the African rainforest.  

Anyone watching this movie will sympathize and relate to the lives of chimpanzees.  The story shows the individual triumph, family bonds and the importance of teamwork over hierarchy.  We enjoyed the creative narration of the movie.  There were moments that we got nervous, cried, laughed and became impressed by these extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom. I like the bonus features and the songs in the movie. The stunning hi-definition images brings us up close and personal with this young chimp Oscar and his family.

Charity

For every purchase of the movie until August 27th Disneynature will donate $0.50 through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to the Jane Goodall Institute. The minimum pledged to this program is $30000, which will conserve chimpanzee habitat that protects 129,236 acres, educate 60,000 children about chimpanzee conservation and provide care for chimpanzees.

Giveaway

If you would like to win a copy of this movie, please enter through the rafflecopter below.  The giveaway is open to people in Canada and US, ends on the 25th of August.

Update: The winner is saskmom

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Pocahontas, The Rescuers and The Aristocats

Disney movies: Pocahontas, The Rescuers and The Aristocats are coming to Blu-ray on Aug. 21st

This special edition includes both Pocahontas films  and bonus features.  This action-packed animated musical adventures Pocahontas and Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World are timeless stories of hope, courage and friendship that the whole family can enjoy.

It is the 35th anniversary of the original classic, The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under.  Join two of the world’s bravest mice, Bernard and Bianca as they set out on two thrilling rescue missions full of comic adventure.  These tiny heroes with big hearts outrun and outwit their rivals to save the day.  

The Aristocats is a fun, comedy and adventure that is fun to watch.  The exciting tale takes place in Paris where a kind and eccentric millionairess, wills her entire estate to ‘Duchess,’ a high society cat, and her three kittens.  When the bumbling butler Edgar tries to pull off the ultimate catnap caper in order to secure the fortune for himself, it’s up to alley cat Thomas O’Malley and his band of swingin’ jazz cats to save the day. 

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Making bulletin boards, My little pony and Power Rangers

My little pony is one of my children's favourite.  They were excited to watch My little pony friendship is magic: royal pony wedding on DVD.  The movie is available to purchase since August 7th.  This movie from Shout! Factory is made in collaboration with Hasbro Studios.  

There are 5 episodes:

A Canterlot Wedding, Part 1

A Canterlot Wedding, Part 2

Hearts And Hooves Day

Sweet & Elite

The Best Night Ever

Here are some printable colouring sheets and activities.

The DVD can be bought on Amazon, the series is currently airing on Hub TV network in the US.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 1 Volume 1 will be out on DVD August 21st.  There are 3 discs 30 episodes that is over 10 hours of family friendly entertainment.  

You can preorder on Amazon and ShoutFactory.  I watched Power Rangers growing up with my siblings and I enjoyed watching it with my children.

The Lorax has also been out since August 7th.  We attended the kids workshop at Home Depot to make these bulletin boards and coloured Lorax themed art.  

Children made Framed Bulletin Boards using a kit... to make it at home you will need the material below, which can be bought at hardware and craft stores.

1 top and 1 bottom framing piece (look at the picture for a better idea)

2 side framing pieces

1 cork board

4 long nails

2 short nails

1 sawtooth hanger

hammer

1. Attach one of the long sides (top) to the width side, using a nail and a hammer.
2. Insert the cork board into the slot and put the other long (bottom) piece over it and attach it with a nail.
3. Push the framing piece on the cork board and nail it.
4. Lay the board facing down and use 2 small short nails to attach the sawtooth hanger.

Start pinning :)

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Radio Rebel and Tinker Bell

Disney's Secret of the Wings is coming on Blu-ray combo pack and DVD on October 23rd.  Tinker Bell and her friends will be introducing a sparkling new winter fairy Periwinkle.  For Tinker Bell and her warm season fairies, the Winter Woods are a mysterious forbidden place.  We are excited and waiting to watch this movie at home.

Last weekend, we enjoyed watching Radio Rebel.  This DVD movie is about friendship, high school crushes, prom, competitions among the popular and not so popular kids in high school and more.  
Debby Ryan's character is a girl with a shy personality that hosts a radio show anonymously.  This show becomes popular among many people and everybody likes listening to it and following what she says.  She wants to keep her identity secretive, however everyone wants to find out who she really is.  She gets elected to become the prom queen so she has to reveal her identity to everyone in her school.  
This is funny movie girls will enjoy watching.  There were many dialogues about being our self and respecting others.

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John Carter movie review

The heroic epic adventure John Carter is on Blu-ray Combo pack, Blu-ray 3D, HD digital, DVD and on demand since June 5, 2012.  John Carter is a warrior on Earth that becomes a hero on Mars when he is magically transported to Mars.  The fate of the planet and it people rest in his hands.  He has surprising new powers and he rises to become the man he is meant to be.


This action adventure is set on the mysterious and exotic planet Mars.  John Carter is a former military captain who reluctantly becomes part of the epic conflict that happens in Mars.  This thrilling movie by  Andrew Stanton is based on the novel "A princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  The combo pack has bonus features such as the Disney second screen, the filmmaking process, deleted scenes and more.


We didn't like the ending of the movie.  I would have preferred to see a little bit more towards the end like what happens when he returns to Mars; unless there is a second part coming.  We had some questions about the movie, which were not clear such as why doesn't John Carter become old with time when everyone around him on earth becomes old.  Despite a few glitches, it is a fun movie to watch with the family.

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Princess Diaries 10th Anniversary and Phineas and Ferb

One of my favourite movies :) The Princess Diaries starring Julie Andrews (the star of Sound of Music) and Anne Hathaway is on Blu-ray and DVD to commemorate the 10th anniversary of this family classic. 

This modern-day fairy tales, The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement are available in a 3 Disc combo pack collection (1 Blu-ray and 2 DVDs of both the movies).

The Princess Diaries is about a sweet, geeky teenager that is invisible to everyone except her mother, best friend and brother.  Her estranged grandmother informs her that she is the heir to the throne of Genovia, an European country.  She is taught everything she needs to know to become a perfect princess.  Mia becomes top news because of paparazzi and the movie is about everything she had to decide on.  The movie is colourful and exciting to watch, children/ teenagers will enjoy this.  Our favourite part is when she goes to meet her grandma.

The Princess Diaries 2 Royal Engagement is about Mia as the future queen of Genovia.  This Princess has everything a girl wants except the magical romance she has dreamed of.  The princess gets to know that she has to get married right away so her family can continue to have the crown.  In this movie she discover who she really is and what it takes to make her dreams come true.  It is about all the things that happen for her to find her prince :)  My daughter and I really enjoyed all the episodes, especially the part where they have the slumber party.

There are lots of bonus features such as deleted scenes, "A new princess" behind the scenes feature, the ultimate tea party, music videos, finding your inner princess personality quiz and many more in this combo pack.

We enjoyed this G rated funny heart-warming movie.  I think it would be a lovely addition to the home collection.   

If you are looking for a movie to entertain the children, then get Phineas and Ferb: The Perry flies DVD on June 5th.  This Disney DVD 2 disk combo comes with a fun Perry activity pack, which includes a magnet, postcard, stickers and puzzles.  

This is a seven episode TV's #1 Animated Series that features Perry the Platypus, the Dynamic Duo Phineas and Ferb.  Agent P goes on exciting adventures with his groovy gadgets, mad skills and more.  

My daughter said that she found it cool when the clones of the same person started appearing when the button was pressed.  

The DVD is about 154 minutes, as it is separated into 7 episodes we can let the children watch 1 or 2 episodes at a time :)

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The Secret World of Arrietty

The Secret World of Arrietty is a movie you will appreciate watching.  The first image of the movie captures the attention of children and adults.  This animated Disney movie is a heartwarming family adventure that features timeless themes of friendship, courage and determination.


The movie is based on the acclaimed children's book series, "The Borrowers" by Mary Norton.  The Secret World of Arrietty is an imaginative tale of "little people" living furtively among us, and about the unlikely friendship that forms when their hidden world is discovered.

The image and setting in the movie shows that the story takes place in Japan.  It is hard to choose a favourite part because the whole movie is filled with many fabulous scenes.  The movie had lots of thought provoking dialogue, which were beautifully said.  It is easy to understand the movie in different perspectives such as how the life of a borrower is similar and different compared to a human being.  

The first thing my daughter asked was, "Are the borrowers going to give back the things they are taking i.e. the sugar?"  To answer this question, throughout the movie during different episodes we were explained that the borrowers only take things that human beings won't miss such as a cube of sugar, cookies etc... The borrowers only take what is needed to survive and nothing more.  

We enjoyed the stylized animation, hi-definition colourful pictures and digital sounds.  It was cool to see how a "little person" finds our everyday noise of taps, fridges to sound loud and dangerous.


The 2 Disc Blu-ray combo pack and DVD has interesting bonus features such as the storyboard version of the film, original Japanese trailers and TV commercials, movie theme song by French singer Cécile Corbel and the music video of Summertime song by Bridgit Mendler (who speaks the voice of Arrietty).
We were able to understand and explain to the children how the music video Summertime was made because of our hands on fun experience with the green screen at TIFF digiPlaySpace.


Check out these clips and The Secret World of Arrietty Facebook.  On May 22nd you can add this movie to your home entertainment collection.


Upcoming Disney movies to watch for:

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3



John Carter



Cinderella Diamond Edition


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War Horse

War Horse is an engaging superb movie. It is on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital and On-demand since April 3rd. This classic is well worth owning for the family collection. The Blu-ray DVD combo pack as special features such as filmmaking journey, editing & scoring music for the movie, the sophisticated sounds on War Horse and more.

Steven Spielberg, the director and producer of this epic adventure has done a wonderful job. The movie is visually stunning with lots of action and drama. The audience will totally love this heartwarming story. The movie has received six academy award nominations for best picture, best cinematography, best original score, best art direction, best sound editing and best sound mixing.

The movie is seen through the eyes of an unforgettable horse named Joey. It is about the extraordinary friendship, loyalty, courage and hope. We enjoyed every part of this powerful moving story. It is totally worth watching.

The movie may even open up discussions and thinking about the perception of war and its impact. War Horse will make us realize that war causes everyone the same problems and it doesn't matter which side of the barricade we are in.

Follow War Horse on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to see what others are saying and join the conversation.

Updated: If you want to win a copy of this fabulous movie, War Horse combo pack please leave a comment on this post; make sure to leave a contact email.

Follow my twitter and Facebook so you know when the winner is announced.

Giveaway is open for people in USA and Canada and ends on April 25th.


The winner is comment #4

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Fun with Jake and the Never Land pirates

Ahoy! Mates,

Jake and the Never Land pirates: Peter Pan returns is available on DVD since April 3rd; it has over 2 hours of special features.

This story is about Peter Pan's missing shadow. While Peter was playing the game Catch-me-if-you-can, he looses his shadow and Captain hook takes it. He goes to ask his friend Jake's help. His friends Izzy, Cubby and parrot Skully join to work as a team to find Peter's shadow. Peter needed his shadow to fly so he had to get it back from captain hook.

This is a lovely movie with lots of songs to keep the children entertained while you are doing some spring cleaning and catching up :)

Painting egg shells. This could be a lovely activity for anytime of the year. To make these Pirate eggs we need to remove the inside yolk and white. First shake the egg carefully, then use a sharp skewer or fork and pierce the narrow end of the egg. Make the pierced part a little big, place a bowl and invert the egg to remove the inside and save it for cooking.

Wash and let the eggshell dry upside down.

We painted these eggshells using sharpie markers.

To make holders

Cut a strip of light board or construction paper about 1" wide, for the length measure the circumference of one side of the egg.

Decorate the strip.

Then slit 1/2" on one corner of the strip from the top and for the other corner cut from the bottom 1/2" (click on the above picture and look closer).

The slits should go into each other and attach.

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Disney Dare to Dream comes true

My children have been talking about going to watch Disney on Ice for several weeks before we went :) and we were excited to be at the show on the opening night. The doors to the event at the Rogers centre opened at 6 pm and the program cheerfully started at 7 pm. The show started with the story of Princess Tiana from Princess and the frog. It was a little distractive with people coming in late and trying to find their seats especially since the seats at Rogers Center are small.

The story of Princess Tiana was my least favourite part of the show.  My children were enjoying it, although I am not sure how much of the story they followed because it was a while ago that we watched this Disney movie.  It would have been nice to have watched Aladdin or something else instead of Princess and the frog :)

Cinderella was the second story of the show, which we all enjoyed. The familiar story of Cinderella was well presented. We enjoyed watching the beautiful horse carriage and the colourful ball. There was a little break for the ice to be cleaned and for us to stretch our legs, use the washroom and get some snacks. The prices of almost everything that was sold at the show was $12; despite the price almost everyone there including us :) got a souvenir.

After the break was Tangled, this was our favourite Disney on Ice Dare to Dream performance.  I think you would agree with me :) It was vibrant, beautifully presented with lots of lovely special effects such as the lantern. The skating and acrobatic moves were remarkable. Tangled was the first movie my son watched at the theatre and both my children have watched it many times. This Disney story is one of our favourite so I could see that my children were excited when they were watching.  It was cute when Maximus the horse in skates appeared :) The costumes were very creative.

The finale was grand indeed.  We met all the Disney couples beautifully dressed in shimmering white clothing.  My daughter was super excited, she was telling the names of all the couples. The presence of Goofy, Donald, Mickey and Minnie as hosts were a lovely idea because they gave the opening remarks of each part of the show. Mickey and Minnie were also on the shiny ice floor. Disney on Ice Dare to dream is a fabulous show, which was a little over 2 hours with the break.

Glad I got the opportunity to see the show with my family and to host the giveaway for another family in Toronto to attend the show.  Here are some words of appreciation from the winner, Sadaf and her family... "The Disney On Ice show was mesmerizing." 

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Disney On Ice Dare to Dream

Disney On Ice Dare to Dream is coming to Rogers centre in Toronto during the March break from the 14th to 18th. We are super excited, to watch Disney On Ice. You too have a chance to win tickets to go with your family, by leaving a comment on this post. Make sure to leave your contact information so I can reach you or Email me.

Contest ends on February 14th.

You can purchase 4 tickets for $44 if you are watching performances on weekdays (Monday through Thursday) or save $4 per ticket for performances on weekends (Friday through Sunday) with the code MAMA.

Updated: Winner of the giveaway is Sadaf

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