15
Jul

Disney/Pixar’s Brave Playtime {Mattel Giveaway}

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If your family hasn’t yet seen Brave, what can you possibly be waiting for? It’s fantastic in every way, and we plan to head to the theater to see it again soon on the big screen. Brining the character’s home, Mattel has a few new Brave toys up their belts and have given us two for Cool Baby Kid readers to check out for themselves in a cool new giveaway.

My five year old tested both and especially loves the Castle & Forest Playset. We re-created Merida’s dash into the forest with the playset having two distinct play areas. The mini-Merida or “small doll” rides her trusty horse Angus and can be expanded with the Disney/Pixar Brave Small Doll Playset. My daughter loves these size dolls and carries them with her just about everywhere. And the Disney/Pixar Brave Gem Styling Merida Doll (complete with reversible cape and bow/arrow) fits right in with the other Disney Princesses. This is she and her friends about to color with my daughter.

Product Details

Brave Gem Styling Merida doll gives girls the chance to decorate Merida’s signature blue gown or red hair with “gems.” They can even flip her reversible cape to reveal a beautiful sparkly print. $20.99, Age: 3+

Brave Castle & Forest Playset brings Merida’s magical world comes to life. When closed the play set is outdoor “forest” where Merida can venture with Angus. Open the play set to play out Merida’s life within the kingdom. $26.99, Age: 3+

Product samples were provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% my own.

Cool Giveaway

Enter to win both products featured by commenting on this post. For extra entries (leave a seperate comment for each):

Determine to win? Check out even more entry possibilities. Contest ends 7/29/12.

Filed Under: Giveaways Galore, Picks & Tips · Tagged With: , ,
26
Jun

Top 5 New Disney iPhone/iPad Apps {Giveaway}

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Disney's Brave Storybook Deluxe

For $6.99 this iPhone, iPad and iPod touch compatible app is aimed at children 5 and up. As with all storybook deluxe apps, it includes read along and recordable story options plus games, puzzles and more. A cross between film and book, Merida comes to life, and the archer game is addictive!

Brave Interactive Comic

At just $1.99 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch this app geared toward slightly older children (7-12) is as interactive as it gets. Watch and listen to the Brave story with budding artists getting drawing lessons and more. For youngsters it's a great alternative way to learn Merida's story.

Disney Classics App: The Jungle Book

Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch and geared toward ages 3-7, we not only love singing along to "Bare Necessities" but creating songs on the drums and of course reading along with the "Jungle Book" story. We've "rediscovered" the film thanks to this cool app!

Learn Chinese: Toy Story 3

Disney Language Learning bring you an iPad app ($4.99) designed to help youngsters ages 7-adult master 100 new words, making "learning time" fun. While we haven't tested this out just yet, it's on our radar and looks like a winner.

The Aristocats: Disney Classics

For iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, this classics app includes everything we've come to expect from Disney apps including read alongs, puzzles and games. Tap a song on the piano and re-discover Duchess and her three kittens with this cool new Disney app.
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Cool Tip/Giveaway

Use these direct links to purchase each of the apps listed above on iTunes:

Enter to win the Disney app of your choice by commenting on this post. Leave a separate comment for each:

Determine to win? Check out even more entry possibilities. Contest ends 7/10/12.

Filed Under: Giveaways Galore, Picks & Tips · Tagged With: , ,
23
Jun

Disney/Pixar’s Brave Movie Review & Reflections

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Photo Credit: Disney

We loved Disney/Pixar’s Brave.

Not surprisingly, both our kids and their parents enjoyed every minute of yesterday’s opening show. It’s getting harder and harder for me to pick a personal favorite Disney film–The Princess and the Frog…Tangled…now Brave.  While unrelated, my all-time favorite (non-Disney) movie of all time happens to be Braveheart and visiting Scotland has been on my to-do list for some time. Amidst the background of this beautiful countryside, feisty Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor, butt heads in an epic, albiet not uncommon, mother-daughter battle. With echoes of my own mothering–”guys, stop fighting”…”please don’t pound your fork on the table”–I could relate to the queen who both loves her princess daughter and wants the best for her but also tends helicopter-parent. As an 8th grade teacher and well-versed in adolescent behavior, I also identified with protagonist Merida whose desire to chart her own course reminds the audience of headstrong Juliet with a less tragic ending.

Once, as a graduate student in a Children’s Literature class, we were asked to draw contrasts between Grimms’ and Disney’s fair tales; I was struck by the dominant message of princess meeting her prince. While I’m far from having to remind my daughter every time she watches Sleeping Beauty that it’s not a good idea to fall in love with a strange man, Brave‘s message of finding your fate and lack of a swooning princess is a refreshing turn. At times dark but others funny with Merida’s young young brothers offering fun-loving foils to the film, there’s much to love about what’s bound to become another Disney/Pixar success story.

I’ll confess to already owning a wee bit of the merchandise. And  I may have downloaded the Brave soundtrack on our way home from the film. But aside from heading to the drive-in last night after having seen it in theaters earlier in the day, it’s not like our family has been completely been Brave’d this weekend. We didn’t book that trip to Scotland just yet.

Cool Tips

Get the incise scoop from my blogger friend MomSpark: Disney/Pixar’s BRAVE: Walking the Green Carpet and Rockin Mama: Disney/Pixar’s Brave Premieres at The Dolby Theatre. Thanks ladies for the tip on VisitScotland.com where you can enter for a chance to win a trip to Scotland!

Filed Under: Disney, Featured · Tagged With: , ,
16
Jun

Get Ready for Disney’s BRAVE on June 22nd

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Cool Tip

“Like” BRAVE on Facebook as hit gets ready to hit theaters June 22nd. We are SO excited!

Filed Under: Disney, Videos · Tagged With: ,
07
Jun

The Doctor Is In! McStuffins Back for Second Season

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Cool Tip

Popular new show Doc McStuffins has announced a second season on both the Disney Junior block on Disney Channel and the 24-hour Disney Junior channel (for those lucky enough to have it!) It’s our kids’ favorite new show, and we’re thrilled that Disney will introduce “Doc McStuffins” books, apparel, party goods and role play toys, dolls and accessories, beginning this summer through early 2013, its quickest to market launch ever for a preschool property.

A “Doc McStuffins” DVD will also be released on August 21.

Filed Under: Disney · Tagged With: , ,
25
May

Ultimate Guide to Princesses at Walt Disney World Resort

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*Photo Credits, WDWNews

Dining

  • Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom includes multiple princesses for either breakfast, lunch or dinner but booked quickly so call 407-WDW-DINE exactly 180 days before your reservation. (Cost: $36-$59.99)
  • Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway Pavillon, Epcot for breakfast, lunch or dinner. (Cost: $36-$59.99)
  • Try Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner in  1900Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is hosted by Disney princess Cinderella, Prince Charming and their Storybook Friends. (Cost: $36-$59.99)
  • Kids age 4-12 can join Disney friends from Wonderland, like Alice and the Mad Hatter, for a Wonderland Tea Party at 1900 Park Fare restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. (Cost: $36-$59.99)
  • Perfectly Princess Tea Party is the ultimate princess experience! A Sleeping Beauty meet and greet with kids age 3-11 who receive their own “My Disney Girl” doll, princess bracelet, scrapbook page, “best friend” certificate, fresh rose and ribbon tiara. ICost: $175.88 child, $89.68 adult)

Accomodations

Character Greetings & Sightings

Shows

Special Experiences

Cool Tip

Opening in phases beginning March 2012, the new Fantasyland will include all sorts of princess experiences including Fantasyland Forest inspired by The Little Mermaid and Beauty & the Beast, plus castles, Belle’s library, Gaston’s Tavern, Seven Dwarfs Mine train and more.

Filed Under: Picks & Tips, Toddler & Preschooler, Top Picks · Tagged With: , ,
19
May

All *New* Disney/Pixar BRAVE Clip

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Check out “Fergus Shares a Legend” and catch BRAVE in theaters June 22nd. Like on Facebook to stay updated.

 

 

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12
May

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!

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